THE AMERICAN

NUMISMATIC SOCIETY
1858-1958
HOWARD L. ADELSON
NEW YORK
THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY
1958
Centennial Medal by Laura Gardin Fraser
CONTENTS
FOREWORD ................ vii
PREFACE ................ ix
THE ORIGINS .............................. I
THE EARLY YEARS, 1858-1864 ................. 1 8
REBIRTH AND GROWTH, 1864-1873 ............ 33
PROGRESS AND CONFLICT, 1873-1883 .......... 69
OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS, 1883-1905 ..... IOI
A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE, 1905-1915 ...... 141
COMING OF AGE, 1915-1930 ................... 195
THE MATURE YEARS, 1931-1945 ............... 237
THE PEAK, 1945-1958 ......................... 271
NOTES ................ 309
LISTS:
OFFICERS AND STAFF .................... 348
THE COUNCIL ...........................
HUNTINGTON MEDAL AWARDS ............ 374
SALTUS MEDAL AWARDS ................. 375
BENEFACTORS .......................... 376
PATRONS ............................... 377
INDEX
379
FOREWORD
T
J-his volume tells the story of the development of an idea born a
century ago, an idea with such vitality that it survived wars, panics,
periods of discouragement and hardship. But throughout all trouble-
some years of the past, one thing was never lost: faith in the future,
without which living undertakings can not develop and grow.
Our Society can look backward with pride in the story of its first
hundred years; with pride in the achievements that have made a
reality out of the dreams of a century ago. But while looking backward
on the achievements of that past, we must remember that the anni-
versary which we now commemorate does more than mark the end of
a century of growth. It is far more important as the opening of a new
century with even greater possibilities of progress.
Our predecessors have left to us an institution not only with great
material resources, but also one with a reputation for outstanding
scholarly activity. It is our present obligation, as it will be the obligation
of our successors, to see that this institution grows in strength, in
scholarly activity, and in standing among the numismatic societies of
the world. There seems to be no last frontier for our activity if we but
use wisely the great opportunities now open to us.
This volume is the second of the series commemorating our Cen-
tennial. The first is the Centennial Publication, a collection of numismatic
essays edited by Professor Harald Ingholt of Yale University. The
VH
viii FOREWORD
present volume has been written by Dr. Howard L. Adelson, a staff
member of the American Numismatic Society, under the general
supervision of Dr. Wheaton J. Lane, member of the Council. These
two volumes, it is hoped, will form a fitting memorial to the anniversary
which we are now celebrating.
Louis C. WEST, President
January 23, 1958
PREFACE
I
nterest in coins is almost as ancient as coinage itself, but the scientific
study of these bits of metal is actually an innovation of the Renaissance.
The information that coins yield to the avid researcher is vitally
important in many areas of scholarship. Numbers of devoted men
since the Renaissance have spent years in the investigation of the
history of coinage, but it was only in the nineteenth century that
learned societies took the lead in spurring on numismatic research. In
the United States it was the American Numismatic Society, now
celebrating its Centennial, which furnished the leadership and gave
direction to numismatic studies.
It was with these thoughts in mind that I approached the writing of
a history of the American Numismatic Society. As a mediaevalist I was
completely cognizant of the fact that the task confided to me by the
Council of the Society presented problems which would be new.
Happily there was assistance at hand in the person of Mr. Wheaton
J. Lane, an American historian by avocation, as well as a member of
the Council of the Society. Mr. Lane edited the various drafts of this
book, and the style and final form of the volume are perhaps as much
the product of his mind as of my own. His suggestions have been in-
corporated to such a great extent that it is in the truest sense a joint
endeavor.
X PREFACE
At the same time similar recognition must be accorded to Mrs.
Beulah Phelps Shonnard. When the Council had determined that a
history of the Society should be written as part of the Centennial cele-
bration, concerted efforts were made to secure an especially capable
assistant for the author. Mrs. Shonnard was asked to undertake that
task which involved all the various phases of research. With her
characteristic energy Mrs. Shonnard joined in the work of reading
practically illegible letters, moldy documents, old newspapers and
journals. Her skill at this contributed most importantly to the com-
pletion of this history, and her suggestions in the course of the writing
proved invaluable. This book, in great measure, owes its very existence
to the competence of Mrs. Shonnard, who not only aided in the
research and writing but also typed the manuscript.
To Mr. Louis C. West, the President of the Society, I also acknowl-
edge a deep sense of gratitude for his unfailing interest and encourage-
ment. Mr. West was my teacher in graduate school; and to my great
good fortune, he has continued in that role to the present moment,
giving unstintingly of his store of knowledge and helpful advice.
Finally I must mention all my colleagues on the staff of the American
Numismatic Society and a great many members of the Society who
contributed to the content of this volume and aided in so many ways
in the writing. These men discovered photographs preserved in their
own collections and recounted their recollections of the past. Particu-
larly I wish to thank Mr. Sydney P. Noe, Mr. Louis S. Werner and
Mr. Sawyer McA. Mosser.
A history such as this is necessarily the work of many individuals.
Only a few can be mentioned in a short preface. The Society itself is
likewise the result of the joint efforts of all the members both past and
present though only a few are directly mentioned in the history. The
Society itself and the history stand as a tribute to the many.
HOWARD L. ADELSON
February 25, 1958
THE ORIGINS
>.he scientific study of numismatics is inextricably bound with
the history and fortunes of the American Numismatic Society which
has done so much to forward it. Interest in numismatics in this country,
however, antedates the existence of any society devoted to the study
of coins and medals. Coin dealers and collectors, though few in number,
were in evidence from earlier times, but only at about the middle of the
nineteenth century was there such a sharp growth of interest in the
relatively unknown field that the formation of numismatic societies
became possible. Probably this sudden rise in the number of individuals
actively interested in coins and medals was connected with the more
general awakening that the country was experiencing in all fields of
cultural endeavor.
The period immediately prior to the Civil War was one of strong
emotional attachment to the great issues which divided the nation,
but popular attention was by no means focused solely on the larger
political questions. The deep stirrings of a cultural revival with many
facets were fully evident. Cultural growth on the North American
continent had developed noticeably in the latter half of the eighteenth
century with the advent of a number of eminent men, prominent
among whom were Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin, founder
of the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. The expansion
and diffusion of that culture was, among the people in general, however,
2 THE ORIGINS
largely a phenomenon of the era between Presidents Jackson and
Lincoln.1
The popularization of knowledge about the middle of the nineteenth
century had, of course, deep social significance. This was the age of
men like Emerson, Thoreau, Longfellow, Irving, Lowell, Melville,
Agassiz, and that most likeable Boston Brahmin, Holmes. New England,
and Boston in particular, achieved a level of cultural activity unsur-
passed elsewhere in the country, yet this high plane of intellectual
endeavor was by no means restricted to one class of society. In 1829
the Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge was founded in
Boston, to be followed seven years later by the more expansive Amer-
ican Society for the Diffusion of Useful Knowledge.
The prevailing belief in the country among the intellectual groups
was an unwavering conviction in the idea of progress. Rousseau in
Europe had pointed the way towards a democracy of good men by his
contentions regarding the utility of education. Associationist psycho-
logists created in their own minds images of man as purely the result
of his experiences and environment. It was therefore possible to im-
prove man by subjecting him to the best experiences and educating
him properly. In accordance with such reasoning the mill owners of
Lowell encouraged their female employees to make use of their leisure
hours reading, or listening to scientific discussions which would improve
their minds and at the same time keep them from harm. Many wealthy
men endowed institutions for the diffusion of knowledge. Not the least
of these men were Stephen Van Rensselaer, Benjamin Bussey, John
Lowell, Joseph E. Sheffield, and John Jacob Astor. In 1836 the Lowell
Institute was established in Boston for the purpose of bringing dis-
tinguished lecturers to that city. By 1857 the Cooper Institute had
been founded to provide an education for the sons of laborers in New
York City.
This belief in the advancement of man by education had as a con-
comitant force a native American belief in self-improvement. The
American man was not solely dependent upon the largess of the wealthy
if he was to improve himself and to provide himself with that education
which was a prerequisite for advancement. Numerous so-called
"mechanics institutes" came into existence dedicated to improving the
THE ORIGINS 3
educational level of the working man. Many of these groups, of course,
resulted from the philanthropic aid and support of the wealthier
citizens, but this was by no means true of all of them. Mechanics,
tradesmen, and laborers often combined of their own accord to form
debating and lecturing societies which ministered to their desires for
education. The popularization of knowledge was a national theme.
The peak of intellectual activity during this period, of course, was
achieved in New England and the surrounding areas, but it was by no
means restricted solely to that locale. The entire country participated
in some measure in this revival of learning though it must be pointed
out that the contributions were much more limited in the South than
elsewhere. Non-slaveholding states of the West enjoyed their own
measure of cultural activity as witnessed by the astounding popularity
of the lectures on astronomy delivered in Cincinnati in 1846 by Ormsby
Mitchel. So successful was this lecture series that the citizens of that
city gave a telescope to Mitchel which was second only to that of
Greenwich, England. In the very next year the first popular journal of
astronomy, the Sidereal Messenger, made its appearance, and the
response was enthusiastic.
Cultural activity and interest on the part of the citizenry at large was
expressed not only in the formation of lyceum groups for lectures and
societies to further scientific inquiry such as the Chicago Historical Socie-
ty founded in 1856 or the American Geographical Society established
in 1851, but in many other ways as well. The introduction of the penny
newspaper and the vastly expanded production of inexpensive maga-
zines and books, including pirated editions of the latest works of famous
European authors, were made possible by the introduction of the
steam operated rotary press. There was no international copyright
agreement and in some cases barely one day elapsed between the
arrival of a new work from Europe and its appearance in a pirated
edition on the bookstalls of this country.
Public libraries came into existence in profusion throughout the
length and breadth of the country, and in some cases the individual
communities took the responsibility for providing such a service
without waiting for the benefactions of a philanthropist. In 1848 the
first public library in Boston was authorized and in 1854 the doors
4 THE ORIGINS
were opened. This was the same year in which the Astor Library in
New York City was made available to the general populace, and three
years later, in 1857, the Peabody Library in Baltimore was founded.
These great collections were only outstanding instances of an entire
network of libraries to be found in individual cities and towns. Between
1825 and 1^850 no fewer than 250 libraries were established, a figure
more than twice the number of the preceding twenty-five years.
Education for the youth of the country was greatly expanded by
means of the public school, the emergence of the high school, and an
almost unbelievable multiplication of colleges. In 1842 an act of the
legislature of Massachusetts required each town to maintain a public
school. There were still certain disabilities connected with education
in most parts of the country by reason of the rate system which required
parents to contribute at least part of the costs of the education of their
children, but the literacy rate was increasing in astounding pro-
portions. Even at the highest level of education in the colleges and
professional schools, which yielded a certain social prestige to their
graduates, phenomenal advances were made. In the decade from 1840
to 1850 the number of colleges increased from 173 to 239. Many were
founded in the western states, and even higher education was available
on a relatively local level.
New York City, because of its proximity to the center of American
culture in New England, and because it was a cosmopolitan, thriving
metropolis with a busy port, played a major role in the popularization
of intellectual endeavors. New York was the home of Samuel F. B.
Morse, the inventor of the telegraph, who was also a faculty member
of New York University. With him in this city resided a host of famous
men of letters including John James Audubon, James Fenimore Cooper,
Edgar Allan Poe, George Bancroft, William Cullen Bryant, and
Washington Irving. The first of the penny newspapers, the New York
Sun, was founded in 1833 to be rapidly followed by the New York
Herald under the aegis of James Gordon Bennett, Sr., and the New York
Tribune of Horace Greeley. By 1851, the New York Times had made its
appearance on the streets of this city. It is true that the tone of these
newspapers was much less elevated than that of earlier ones and that
there was a tendency to give the people of the city the spice which they
THE ORIGINS 5
desired, but the mere increase in the number of newspaper readers is
very significant. This growth of the reading public, of course, was not
restricted to the newspapers alone. Journals and magazines such as
the Knickerbocker Magazine which began in the same year as the first
penny newspaper, 1833, were also widely read.
Probably the most significant phase of the intellectual growth of the
city may be seen in the expansion of higher education for all classes
within the metropolis. New York University was founded in 1831 and
rapidly became the home of a distinguished faculty. In 1841 the
higher education of the ever-growing Catholic community was assured
by the establishment of Fordham University. Still there were many who
lived in New York who were unable to attend colleges and universities
because of financial reasons. In 1847 the Free Academy which was
shortly to be renamed the City College of New York was founded.
Education was now available to all whatever their financial status.
New York, having outstripped Philadelphia, was a thriving seaport
with an unrivalled volume of commerce and a constant stream of
immigrants which was swelling each year. The city was wealthy and
provided all the pursuits desired by the younger people. Theatrical
life in the metropolitan area was very vigorous, and the famous stars
of the stage appeared regularly. Museums such as that of Barnum
were very much in evidence, and lists of amusements were published
in the newspapers. For men of letters there was the famous "Bread and
Cheese Club" formed in 1824 as a society of authors. The vigorous
renaissance which was taking place in the country as a whole was
certainly mirrored within New York City.
This cultural ferment was, however, not equally effective in all fields
of scholarly endeavor. In the case of numismatic studies the first half
of the nineteenth century must be considered a relatively barren and
unrewarding period in this country. Only at the very end of the period
was there evidence of growing interest. The general activity which
was so much in evidence in other fields was sadly lacking in the study
or collecting of coins and medals. It is questionable whether there were
actually three hundred numismatic collectors to be found in the United
States in the year 185O.2 Certainly some of those who did engage in
numismatic pursuits did acquire valuable collections, but there was
6 THE ORIGINS
not as yet any broad public interest. The cultural horizon was active,
as has been pointed out, but it did not include numismatics. Obviously
a particular stimulus or series of stimuli were required to create the
interest in coins and medals which would make their scientific study
possible.
Those few collectors who prior to 1850 had begun to assemble and
study the coins and medals which passed through their hands did so
for many different reasons, none of which was applicable to the public
at large. One of the best known of these early American numismatic
collections was that of Joseph J. Mickley, a wealthy piano manufacturer
of Philadelphia. Mickley began his hobby, for such it really was, in
1823 with the search for a cent of 1799 in fine condition, simply be-
cause he was born in that year and desired to have a cent of that date
since he had heard that they were rare.3 In the course of his efforts to
secure a fine specimen, Mickley enlisted the support of his friends.
One of these presented Mickley with a very fine specimen of a cent of
1798, and this piece was the first in the formation of the Mickley
Collection. The collector's instinct had been aroused.
There is, of course, an apocryphal ending to this story which is
contained in the account given by Edward Cogan, the New York coin
dealer. According to him, Mickley was unable to secure, even as late
as 1867, a fine sample of the cent of 1799. This romantic tale must be
discounted because in 1867 Mickley was robbed of approximately
$16,000 worth of coins, and he immediately determined to sell the
remainder at public auction. The sale catalogue of that auction lists
a cent of 1799 which is described as "Very fine indeed, having been
but little in circulation, one of the best ever offered for sale, the rarest
of American Cents."4
Cogan seems to have entered the coin trade quite accidently in
the late 185o's. He had originally come to this country in 1853 from
England, and settled in Philadelphia as a dealer in pictures and books.
In the latter part of 1856, a friend of his named Ryan brought an
electrotype Washington Cent of 1792 to the store in Philadelphia and
persuaded Cogan to purchase it for twenty-five cents. Of course Cogan
displayed his recent acquisition as a curiosity to his friends and ac-
quaintances. One who chanced to view it offered Cogan fifty cents
THE ORIGINS 7
for it, and this experience seems to have banished all thought of
numismatics as a mere curiosity. Ryan had told Cogan that a cent
with the date 1815 would be worth at least five dollars and that there
was a growing demand for United States cents. Gogan immediately
set about collecting a complete set beginning with the year 1793, but
he assures us that at that moment he still had not the slightest notion
"of ever making it a matter of business." In any event, he continued in
the role of the avid collector until 1858, when he realized that the
demand for coins was increasing and that the supply was quite adequate
to sustain coin trading. Cogan now commenced disposing of his
duplicates by sale. Soon he was devoting greater and greater portions
of his time to coin trade as a business, and he remained almost ex-
clusively a coin dealer until his retirement in 188o.5
The rise in public interest in coin collecting after 1850 which made
it possible for Cogan to enter the coin trade must have particular
causes apart from the general cultural awakening of the early nineteenth
century. Cogan's career in numismatics is contemporary with the first
great rise in the spirit of scientific inquiry in the field of numismatics
in this country. The decade from 1850 to 1860 is particularly important
both for the number of significant changes introduced into the American
monetary system and the beginnings of large scale public interest in
numismatics. These two facts must be connected in a causal nexus.
An examination of the changes introduced into the circulating medium
during this period will yield the clue as to why there was a popular
rise in coin collecting.
In 1848 gold was discovered in California, and the great quantity
of that metal which suddenly appeared on the market caused a very
marked change in the relative market values of gold and silver. This
change exaggerated a condition which had been noticeable for several
years. From 1844 on it was evident that silver was flowing from the
country at an alarming rate. In that very year the exports of silver to
England exceeded the imports from Mexico. All silver coins in circu-
lation in the United States were non-fiduciary and since the privilege
of legal tender extended to include even coinage of foreign manufacture
which was also non-fiduciary, the exporters of coin were particularly
careful to retain the worst coins at home while the best pieces were
8 THE ORIGINS
sent abroad. Much of the silver currency in common use by 1851
was therefore seriously underweight, and a significant portion of
the coinage was of foreign manufacture and not controlled by the
American government.
The economic difficulties faced by business in a situation wherein
the currency was continually declining in quality and quantity re-
quired urgent action on the part of Congress. In 1851, after much
debate, a bill was passed to provide for the issuance of a fiduciary three-
cent piece containing three parts of silver to one of copper. This was
the beginning of fiduciary silver coinage in the United States, but
even though it was a step in the right direction it did not go far enough.
The losses of silver from these shores had been tremendous. In 1850,
$2,000,000 worth of silver had been exported, but in 1851, the stupen-
dous total of $23,000,000 was shipped abroad. This was more than
the total amount of silver coined during the preceding twenty years.
Of necessity, gold was pressed into service to replace silver in the larger
transactions while the new three-cent piece suddenly achieved the
distinction of being the most important coin in the task of replacing
silver currency in smaller transactions. The deleterious effect on
commercial transactions of such an unstable monetary system was not
lost upon Congress, and in 1853 the logical step of issuing fiduciary
silver coins in all denominations, save one dollar, was taken. The
one dollar piece was in an anomalous position with respect to the
rest of the coinage which was composed of gold coins of full value,
subsidiary fiduciary silver coins, and unpopular cents and half-cents
of copper.6
After the passage of the coinage law of 1853, foreign silver coins
ceased to circulate in any quantity in the urbanized commercial areas
of the country though they continued in use in the less developed
regions. The new fiduciary coins drove the foreign coins from market
places save in areas in which those coins were almost the only ones
available or in those cases in which the foreign silver was in such poor
condition, or of such indifferent weight that it did not circulate at its
legal value. Foreign coins which met these conditions were available
from older issues of Mexican and Spanish mints. As long as these non-
fiduciary inferior foreign pieces continued to appear in the market
THE ORIGINS 9
place the law of 1853 could not yield its full benefits. Further action
on the silver coinage was still necessary.
At the same time it should not be forgotten that there had been no
substantial reform of the copper coinage, which consisted of the cent
and half-cent, and which had proven to be so unpopular. These coins
were introduced in 1793, but they had never been used very extensively,
and the mint was barely able to cover the costs of manufacturing and
distributing them. There had been only minor changes introduced
into the obverse and reverse of these pieces from the date of their in-
ception; and since they were not unusually attractive nor commonly
used, it is doubtful that many people examined them with any care.7
The mint was barely able to cover the costs of manufacturing and
distributing them. On February 21, 1857, a new law went into effect
which abolished the half-cent denomination and specified the details
for the manufacture of a new series of copper cents. This new copper
cent was given by the mint in exchange for the foreign silver coinage.
The right of such exchange, however, was to end two years after the
passage of this act, whereby the foreign silver pieces were effectively
demonetized and declared to be no longer legal tender. Of course the
law was effective in driving the poor quality foreign silver from the
market, and since it specified a change in the cent and the elimination
of the half-cent, it necessitated a new type for the cent. Even prior to
the enactment of the new law, new cents appeared in 1856 as pattern
issues, with an attractive flying eagle on the obverse, and in 1857 and
1858, larger quantities of these new cents were issued than had ever
been struck of the older types.8 In 1859 this flying eagle obverse itself
was changed to the familiar Indian head type which is still so often a
starting point for amateur collectors.9
Within the relatively short time of a single decade the currency
medium of the country had changed significantly. Older types and
the mass of foreign silver pieces had passed from the scene and been
retired from circulation in all save the most rural and isolated regions
of the country. New types and denominations had been introduced in
quantity. Coinage changed more significantly in the decade from 1850
to 1860 than it had in the preceding fifty-seven years. The populace
at large was forced to look at and to observe the currency medium
10 THE ORIGINS
more closely because of these changes which had demonetized a large
segment of the older coinage. In line with the inquisitive nature of man
and the curiosity that was such an important feature of the cultural
awakening of the second quarter of the nineteenth century, the more
alert and inquisitive members of society began to collect and to study
the pieces which passed through their hands. The number of such
collectors continually increased, and it was not long before some of
these men were turning to coin dealers to secure specimens of coins
which would not have reached them by the normal channels of trade.
In this fashion the coin trade in the United States was established on a
firm footing and was stimulated to greater activity. Men such as
Edward Cogan entered the field of coin dealing for the first time and
rapidly rose to prominence as the business expanded.10
The growing interest in numismatics did not fail to create some
effect in the daily press. In the New York Sunday Dispatch for the year
1857 a series of articles entitled "Gleanings from Coins" ran through
some eleven numbers. These articles were simply signed "Gus" and
came from the pen of Augustus B. Sage, a coin dealer of New York
City.11 In these articles Sage dealt with the entire field of numismatics,
but since there was as yet no dependable scientific volume dealing
with American coinage he utilized the U. S. Mint Manual extensively
and supplemented it with his own observations. The veteran nu-
mismatist and Wall Street attorney, Charles I. Bushnell, responded
with a series of very witty articles under the signature of "Numismatist"
in the same journal. Bushnell's sarcastic criticisms of the U. S. Mint
Manual were devastating, and he clearly proved it to be a work of
extremely limited utility. As a result of this tilt in the field of journalism
the two men, Sage and Bushnell became fast friends. Bushnell caused
a medal to be issued in three examples with the obverse type showing
a full length standing figure of Hercules with his club resting on his
left shoulder and his right hand pointing downward at a nearly
prostrate figure at his feet. The iconographical significance of the
scene was elucidated by the inscription "Numismatist for valor, to
Gus." One of these medals was presented to Sage, another to the
editors of the Sunday Dispatch, and the third Bushnell retained for his
own collection. Sage presented his copy of this medal to the American
THE ORIGINS 11
Numismatic and Archaeological Society in 1864.12 Sage signalized his
own very high opinion of Bushnell by issuing the first of the medals of
A. B. Sage's Numismatic Gallery in honor of Charles I. Bushnell.13
This series of articles and responses in the Sunday Dispatch may not
have in themselves been of primary importance in increasing interest
in numismatics because they had a very limited circulation, but they
are indicative of an advanced state of numismatic interest. Contacts
between the different collectors and dealers during this period seem
to have been very close, and the circle of devotees expanded as the
friends of those already in the field joined in the newly found pursuit.14
The time had now come when a society for the pursuit of numismatic
endeavors and studies might be formed. A large enough body of men
of culture and means existed in several of the major cities of the country,
and interest in the field was at a peak. The first such society appears
to have been the Numismatic Society of Philadelphia, which was
instituted by seven gentlemen of that city on Dec. 27, 1857, but the
formal organization of the group was not completed until Jan. 1, 1858.
The American Numismatic Society would appear to have been con-
ceived some months later, in March of 1858. It is true that A. B. Sage,
the coin dealer, who was one of the most important of the founders of
the Society, spoke ten years later of the first meeting as having occurred
in 1857, but since his writings show quite conclusively that Sage did
not possess an infallible memory, we may presume that he simply erred
in recalling the date.15 In the copies of the Constitution and By-Laws
printed in 1864, 1865, 1878, and 1884, however, the claim is made
that the Society was actually founded in 1857, but the evidence would
seem to indicate that even the first informal meetings for forming a
numismatic society in New York were not held until March of 1858.
A diary kept by Edward Groh, one of the founders of the Society,
contained evidence that informal meetings were held at the home of
Augustus B. Sage at 121 Essex Street as early as March 15, 1858.16
According to Groh's diary he went to the home of Augustus B. Sage on
the evening of March 15th to attend the first irregular meeting of a
proposed new society. Invitations signed by Augustus B. Sage, a dealer
in coins, antiquities and other curiosities, Henry O. Hart, James D.
Foskett, James Oliver, and Edward Groh himself, had been extended
12 THE ORIGINS
to several people. The purpose of the meeting as expressed in the in-
vitation was to take "the preliminary steps towards the organization
of an Antiquarian Society in this city."17 At that meeting in addition
to the signers of the invitation there were present Henry Whitmore, a
gentleman of wealth from this city, Dr. Isaac Hand Gibbs, Ezra Hill,
"and a number of others." Groh presumed that Theophilus W. Law-
rence, a book and print dealer, was among the anonymous others who
were present.
The next evening, Tuesday, March 16th, Groh met once again with
Sage, Oliver, and Lawrence at the same place. Henry O. Hart, who
was to serve with them on a Committee on By-Laws that had apparent-
ly been appointed on the first night of their meeting, was absent on this
occasion. It is evident from the fact that he never again took part in
any of the activities of the Society that he had lost interest in the
project. The committee proceeded about its task in a very informal
manner because there were chance meetings of various members re-
corded on several evenings during the month of March, and on some
occasions such as March 22nd and March 29th, quite a few of the
members appear to have been present. On March 29th, which was a
Monday evening, Groh went to what he now referred to in his diary as
a "Coin Collector's Meeting," and there he was introduced to some
new devotees including John Cooper Vail, an author and journalist
who had just joined the group. Vail seems to have been a most unusual
person, being described by one of his acquaintances as "a peculiar and
eccentric personthe author of extravagant tales for the sensational
papers."18 It was at that meeting also that Dr. Asher T. Atkinson was
introduced to the rest of the members of the Society. Dr. Thomas Dunn
English must also have been present at that meeting for Groh specifically
states that it was then that Dr. English penned the Constitution and
By-Laws.
The exact circumstances surrounding the adoption of the con-
stitution are interesting because, as has been noted, Dr. English was
not a member of the committee charged with the preparation of that
document. At the meeting held on March 16th at the home of Augustus
B. Sage, Sage had written a version of the Constitution and By-Laws
which was presented to the meeting of March 29th. It is indicative of
THE ORIGINS 13
the forceful character of Dr. English that when the new Constitution
was presented at the very first meeting, he stepped forward and, ap-
parently on the spur of the moment, prepared a different version. This
new version was accepted by the group and was submitted for final
approval to the first formal meeting of the Society on April 6th.
A thorough study of the origins of the American Numismatic Society
reveals that there were fourteen gentlemen who were in some measure
involved in its foundation. Only twelve of these men were listed among
the founders until 1879, when an investigation revealed the participation
of the other two. The twelve who were recognized as founders from
the very inception of the organization were those who were in attend-
ance at the first regular meeting of the Society which was held on
April 6, 1858, at the home of Augustus B. Sage. Some of the twelve
were fairly prominent in civic affairs and continued to serve the newly
established society in the period following the Civil War. Others,
however, are known primarily because of their association with the
organization of the American Numismatic Society. One can only
speculate that perhaps some of these men died during the course of
the Civil War and so did not share in the full fruits of their labors. Only
in the case of Dr. Thomas Dunn English, who lost interest in the
Society immediately after the first election of officers, and in the case
of John Cooper Vail, who was apparently taken sick quite early, can
we be certain of the reasons for the disappearance of the names of the
various founders who did not participate actively in the later history
of the Society. In this latter category were to be found Alfred Bough ten,
James D. Foskett, Ezra Hill, Jacob J. Melber, James Oliver, and
Henry Whitmore.19
In addition to the men just mentioned, the first regular meeting of
the Society was attended by Dr. Isaac Hand Gibbs, a physician, and
Augustus B. Sage, as well as by Asher D. Atkinson, Dr. Thomas Dunn
English, and Edward Groh, about whom a certain amount of informa-
tion is available. Atkinson and English were cousins and had attended
the Friends' Academy in Burlington, New Jersey, together. Atkinson,
the son of a physician, was born in Philadelphia on September 30,
1821, and received his early schooling in that area, but when he was
somewhat older the family removed to New York where he studied
14 THE ORIGINS
medicine. Though he received his degree he never engaged in the
practice of medicine but devoted his time to business and became
particularly well known as a successful operator in the development of
oil wells after 1863. His very fine collection of cents passed through
the hands of several collectors and was finally acquired by the United
States Mint in Philadelphia.20
Thomas Dunn English was by far the best known of the founders of
the Society. He was born on June 29, 1819, of Quaker stock in or near
Philadelphia. In 1839, after completing his education at the Medical
School of the University of Pennsylvania, he received the M.D. degree
with a thesis on the subject of phrenology. During the next three years
he read law and was admitted to the bar in 1842, though he did not
practice that profession immediately. His chosen field of future endeavor
was apparently determined as early as 1839, when he began to write
for Burton's Gentleman's Magazine. As a result of his connections with
that journal he established a friendship with Edgar Allan Poe. In 1844,
he took an active part in the campaign in support of Tyler. As president
of a political club, he tells us in his autobiography, he did a good deal
of stumping and probably provoked a good deal of ill will by being
unnecessarily offensive in his remarks.21 English also edited the Tyler
daily, the Aurora, which soon failed, and as a reward he received the
political appointment of weigher of the port of New York. By this point
in his career, however, English had produced his most important work.
In 1843, the editors of the New Minor, George P. Morris and Nathaniel
P. Willis, asked the twenty-four year old English to write a poem for
their publication. English promptly produced Ben Bolt, an engaging
poem addressed to a real person by that name and with allusions to
still other real people.22 The poem itself was an immediate success and
the suggestion was made to many composers that they fit these stanzas
to music. A great many, including English himself who wrote such a
composition "entirely for the black keys," tried to do so. In 1846, the
poem was used as the lyric to a German air in the drama, "The Battle
of Buena Vista," which was playing in a Pittsburgh theater. The play
itself collapsed shortly, but the song which had been introduced into
it largely by accident lived on in greater fame.23 In 1895, Du Maurier
used the piece quite conspicuously in his novel, Trilby.
THE ORIGINS 15
By 1845, English was editor of the Aristidean, A Magazine of Reviews,
Politics, and Light Literature to which both Poe and Whitman contributed;
but which failed after only six issues. The relationship between Poe
and English was no longer as happy as it had been, for in 1846 Poe
wrote The Literati of New York, a series of papers published in Godey's
Lady's Book. To say the least, Poe's criticisms of the intellectual and
artistic figures of New York, including English, were impassioned and
perhaps overly severe, but it must be remembered that at the time in
question Poe was living in very straightened circumstances and watching
his always delicate wife waste away before his eyes. Poe's barbed
shafts struck home, and English retaliated with a card which was
reprinted in the Evening Mirror and which charged Poe with forgery. Of
course such a charge could not be upheld and was, in fact, libelous.
As a result, Poe in wrath filed a suit against Hiram Fuller, editor of
the Evening Mirror, for publishing the libel, and he won, though the suit
damaged his reputation.
English changed his residence to Washington during the suit, but in
1848, with others, he started the humorous weekly John Donkey in
Philadelphia. It was probably the best known publication of its time
though on occasion the wit was somewhat strained. The weekly was
sharply critical of Greeley, Poe, and many others, but once again the
satire seems to have overlooked the laws of libel, for even though it
once attained a circulation of twelve thousand, it was ruined at the
end of six months by the numerous court actions brought against it.
With his career in journalism somewhat curtailed by these events,
English retired to Virginia where he practiced medicine and law.
After 1856, he returned to the North and settled in Bergen County,
New Jersey, where he was apparently residing at the time he became
one of the founders of the American Numismatic Society.24
Perhaps the founder who had the greatest influence on the future
history of the Society and certainly the one who remained active for
the longest period of time was Edward Groh. He was born of German
parents in New York City on June 2, 1837, and received his education
in local schools.25 While still a very young man he engaged in the ship-
chandlery trade, but later he entered the tobacco business. He appears
to have been quite successful in this new enterprise which he continued
16 THE ORIGINS
for all his active life. About the year 1855 Groh began to devote much
of his leisure time to the pursuit of numismatics. This new interest
supplemented an earlier devotion to entomology which was responsible
for his becoming an honorary member of the Louis Agassiz Association.
It is evident that Groh was an intellectually curious gentleman whose
broad interests encompassed many fields, and in each he strove to
have more than a mere dilettante's knowledge. His contributions in
these fields are worthy of note even though they could hardly be
proclaimed of prime importance.
Groh's interest in numismatics was not restricted to any individual
branch of that subject for he was a collector of ancient coins as well as
the Rebellion tokens of the Civil War period. He was always on the
watch for rare American tokens and store cards and was a recognized
authority in that aspect of numismatics. In 1857 the store cards of a
certain T. D. Seaman were popular and were sought by the growing
band of collectors, but no one had been able to establish the location of
Seaman's store. On July 4, however, as Groh was fond of relating, he
discovered the sign of T. D. Seaman over a grocery store on a New
York corner and set the matter at rest.
He was also connected in a slight way with the production of electro-
types which were just beginning to come into fashion about the middle
of the century. At that time the perennial argument that still persists
regarding their production was already current. There were those
who regarded the electrotype as an illegitimate copy of a work of art
which might eventually cause a decline in the value of the original and
therefore deserved wholesale condemnation.26 In 1860 Groh, who was
already known as an outstanding collector, brought some castings of
an 1836 dollar of the flying eagle type to a jeweller on the Bowery
named Posner for the purpose of having them plated. The recently
plated pieces were discovered in the possession of the jeweller who was
by temperament a very nervous man. The authorities took a great
interest in the pieces and arrested Posner for the purpose of ascertaining
whether a charge of counterfeiting should be levelled. The process of
electrotyping was apparently so new at the time that no definite
policy had as yet been established, though it is certain that others had
practiced the art somewhat earlier. It was only because the district
THE ORIGINS 17
attorney was apprised of the fact that these new copies were to sell for
three times the face value of the coin itself that the matter did not take
a serious turn.
Such were the men who met at the home of Augustus B. Sage for
the first regular meeting of the American Numismatic Society. At this
first meeting Dr. Isaac Hand Gibbs was elected President pro tem and
Sage served as Secretary pro tem. A report was read by the Committee
on Constitution and By-Laws, but the substance of that report was the
product of the mind of Dr. English and not the version first prepared
by Sage. The meeting then resolved itself into a committee of the
whole to deal with the Constitution and By-Laws, and after discussion
of various propositions, Dr. English drew up the final version which
was unanimously adopted.27 Election of the regular officers who should
serve in accordance with the provisions of the new constitution was
postponed until the following meeting. The American Numismatic
Society was now officially launched upon its career.
THE EARLY YEARS
1858-1864
he new Constitution of the Society set forth its objectives in the
clear wording which one might expect of a journalist and author such
as Thomas Dunn English. They were "the collection and preservation
of the coins and medals struck in this country, with an investigation
into their history, and such connate matters as the society may deem
worthy of its attention."1 In time, of course, the aims of the Society
were expanded to include still wider spheres of numismatics, but for
the moment the emphasis on American coins and medals was pointed.
It reflected, of course, the spirit of the times, when the young giant
which was the United States was proud of its accomplishments. The
American Numismatic Society, however, made only a modest appear-
ance on the intellectual horizon when compared with the other pro-
minent scientific and learned societies which had come into existence
prior to 1858. Among its founders were some men of note, but as a
group the early members were not particularly distinguished. As a
result, the activities of the Society during the two years preceding the
outbreak of hostilities received but passing notice in the contemporary
press; but it cannot be gainsaid that despite difficulties of a greater
magnitude than might be immediately evident, the Society grew and
strengthened itself in the time that remained before the turmoil of the
Civil War caused a hiatus.
18
1858-1864 19
The second meeting of the Society was called to order by Dr. Gibbs,
the President pro tem., on Tuesday, April I3th. Under the provisions
of the Constitution it was required that a President, two Vice-Presi-
dents, a Corresponding Secretary, a Recording Secretary, a Treasurer,
and an Actuary be elected on the second Tuesday of April to serve
annual terms.2 Mr. Sage therefore nominated Dr. Gibbs to serve
regularly in the office which he now held on a temporary basis, and
Atkinson nominated his cousin, Dr. English, for the same office. In
the resulting balloting Dr. Gibbs was elected by a simple majority of
five votes to four. English must have been deeply disappointed at this
failure to achieve the presidency in the light of the apparent ease with
which he had been able to supersede the earlier work of the Committee
on Constitution and By-Laws. In any event this was to be the last
meeting attended by Dr. English, and his contemporaries attributed
his departure to his defeat. Dr. English, at a much later date gave as
his reason for leaving the Society "the intent of one or two of the
members... .to turn the affair into a machine for trading coins." This
charge cannot be substantiated from the record itself; and as far as can
be determined from the preserved data, only one of the founders was
in any way connected with numismatics as a livelihood.3
With Dr. Gibbs as President the members of the Society now pro-
ceeded to elect by acclamation John Cooper Vail and Henry Whitmore
as Vice-Presidents, James Oliver as Recording Secretary, Augustus
B. Sage as Corresponding Secretary, Theophilus W. Lawrence as
Treasurer, and James D. Foskett as Actuary. In addition four com-
mittees were established to deal with the various departments of the
activities of the Society. Each of these committees, the Committee on
Coins, that on Medals, and that on Transactions, as well as the one
on Library was composed of three members. Thus each of the original
fourteen founders either enjoyed an official position as an officer of
the Society or served on one of the committees.
The Constitution which had been adopted so quickly at the first
regular meeting was duly published with the list of officers and mem-
bers of the standing committees, but no sooner was this done than pro-
posals were made to revise that document and the By-Laws. At the
fifth meeting on July 13, 1858, some modifications were suggested in
20 THE EARLY YEARS
the wording of the first article of the Constitution which would have
removed the emphasis that had been placed on American coinage and
medallic productions. In accordance with the fifth article of the Con-
stitution the proposal was laid over to the next meeting, but a new
committee to revise the Constitution and By-Laws was appointed.
This committee consisted of Frank Henry Norton, who was assistant
librarian at the Astor Library in New York, Robert J. Dodge who was
serving as President pro tem, of the Society at the time, and Augustus
B. Sage.
It should be pointed out that Dr. Gibbs filled the office of President
of the Society until November 1858, but that during the six months of
his tenure there were many meetings which he did not attend. The
pressure of his own affairs was apparently too great to permit him to
take an active part as President; and at the first semi-annual meeting
of the Society held on November 3, 1858, in the rooms of the Omactl
Club at 8n Brodway, he was permitted to retire from that office.4
From July 27th Dodge had served in the capacity of President pro
tem., and he was thus the logical successor.
Of Robert J. Dodge almost no information is available save that he
was in the employ of the City as a surveyor or an engineer. The only
facts that are certain aside from this concern his connection with the
Society, and thus the second President must always remain a some-
what enigmatic figure. The minutes of May n, 1858, record the fact
that he was elected as a member on that date. His career in the
Society, however, was rather unique, for the very first position of trust
which he occupied was that of President pro tem. Obviously he was a
man of some local distinction otherwise he could not have risen so
quickly in the ranks of the Society.5 Frank H. Norton, on the other
hand, was rather well known in New York City. He was a distinguished
appearing man with long mustaches which extended far beyond the
limits of his face and had a fine high forehead. Two prominent American
families were united in his lineage when he was born in 1836 as the
fourth son of Major B. Hammatt and Augusta (Ware) Norton. Norton
received his education at the Dwight School in Boston and at Pictou
Academy in Nova Scotia where his father was serving as U. S. Consul.
In 1850 he came to New York and entered the book store of his brother
Joseph J. Mickley
Edward Cogan
To Gus For Valor
Charles I. Bushncll-Sage Token
Augustus B. Sage
Edward Groh as a young man
James Oliver
Thomas Dunn English
1858-1864 21
Charles B. Norton. By 1855 he had joined the staff of the Astor Library,
and he was serving in that capacity when on May 11, 1858, he became
a member of the Society.6 In the years after the Civil War, Norton
devoted himself to journalism and was a contributor to The National
Cyclopedia of American Biography. In addition he was a playwright and
author of several full length biographies. His primary avocation seems
to have been the study of mathematics and astronomy, but he did con-
tribute an article to the first issue of the American Journal of Numismatics.
He was later to serve as President of the Society and to resign over a
dispute regarding that journal, but this tale must await its proper place.
These three men, Norton, Dodge and Sage, two of whom were
destined to serve as presidents and one who was among the founders of
the Society, were appointed to rewrite the Constitution. At the meeting
of September 14, 1858, they presented their report, and the new Con-
stitution was adopted.7 It was not very different from the original one
which had been agreed upon at the first regular meeting of the Society,
though somewhat longer. The offices of Second Vice-President and
Actuary were abolished and those of Curator and Librarian established.
In addition, it provided for a variety of non-resident memberships to in-
clude those enthusiasts who resided beyond the confines of Manhattan,
and it also established a new class of life members who would, at one
stroke, pay twenty dollars to the treasury. It fixed the dues at four dollars
for resident members and a half-dollar for non-resident members, in
addition to a one dollar initiation fee for all, in place of the previous
sum of three dollars semi-annually. Since the funds of the Society were
likely to increase because of the higher dues and the new class of
membership, it was stipulated that "All donations in money, and all
money received from Life Members, must be invested by the Treasurer,
under the direction of the Council, which was composed of all the
officers. The money thus invested will constitute a permanent fund,
of which only the interest can be expended." These changes seem to
have satisfied the legislative penchant of the members for some time
though that trait has never been completely absent from the character
of the numismatist. Before departing from this subject of legislation,
however, it is fitting to note that there was a problem because of the
lack of attendance at meetings, and to solve this difficulty it was decided
22 THE EARLY YEARS
on October 20, 1859, that a fine of ten cents would be imposed on
members not attending the regular meetings of the Society. There is
no notice of this resolution ever having been carried out or repealed,
so it may have been an effective deterent.
The Society, as it existed in 1858, was a rather informal organization
without a legal personality. Sage was the first to note the difficulties
inherent in this situation, and on January 12th of the following year
he made the first suggestion that an effort should be made to have the
Society incorporated by the Legislature. Frank H. Norton, the Corres-
ponding Secretary, elected at the first semi-annual meeting in 1858,
was directed to inquire into the matter. In the following months the
law regarding such an act of incorporation was studied and the report
of the Committee on Incorporation was prepared. The plan was
accepted, and steps were taken to carry out the proposal. All was in
readiness to complete this move when it was discovered on April 7th
that the Curator was a minor and therefore ineligible to be either an
officer or a trustee of an incorporated society. Augustus B. Sage, who
had been elected Curator at the first semi-annual meeting, had
discerned by January that his other engagements would not allow him
sufficient time to perform the duties of that office. In consequence he
resigned and was replaced by William Leggett Bramhall, a much
younger man who had the necessary leisure for the office.8 Bramhall,
upon recognizing the situation, submitted his resignation and Edward
Groh replaced him. It should be noted that Bramhall was not too
young to serve with distinction as a captain of volunteers in the Civil
War, which erupted just two years later, and though he was severely
wounded he was breveted major, lieutenant-colonel, and colonel, for
gallant and meritorious service.9
Bramhall's resignation cleared the way for further action. On
Tuesday, April 12, 1859, a special meeting of the Council of Manage-
ment of the Society, a body set up under the new Constitution and
composed of the regularly elected officers, drew up the necessary
documents to accomplish the incorporation. A single page of the draft
of the petition seeking incorporation has been preserved, and even
at that early date the plea on behalf of numismatics as a source for
knowledge of the past was made quite strongly. Yet this plea for the
185&-1864 23
value of numismatic studies and the increasing attention being given
to the subject was apparently insufficient to convince the Legislature.
If this petition was ever submitted, it was certainly never acted upon.
On October 20, 1859, the last meeting of the Society prior to 1864 was
held, and no action was taken on the act of incorporation. During the
intervening period the Civil War raged, and the attentions and
energies of the populace were directed to the task of winning the war.
Other pursuits, among them numismatics, fell into the background.
The most basic problem facing the Society during its early develop-
ment, was not one of legal status, however, but simply a matter of
arranging for a suitable room in which to meet. As early as May 3,
1858, while meetings were still being held at the home of Augustus
B. Sage, 121 Essex Street in lower Manhattan, Sage as Corresponding
Secretary of the group was authorized to negotiate with Peter Cooper,
the founder of Cooper Union, for the use of a room in the Union at a
reasonable rent.10
The corner-stone of the Cooper Institute had been laid on September
17, 1853, at Seventh Street and Fourth Avenue. It was incorporated
as "The Peter Cooper Union for the Advancement of Science and Art"
in 1857, and the "Hall of the Union" was opened on May 10th of the
following year. The idea of such an establishment was very much in
accord with the prevailing cultural trends as shown earlier, and it
would have provided an ideal home for the Society. Peter Cooper
must have recognized this because in a letter in answer to that of Sage,
he expressed a desire to meet with him to discuss the matter.11 Once
again, however, a matter of great importance was permitted to lapse,
and as a result on September 14, 1858, it was found necessary to
appoint a committee composed of Foskett, Sage, and Norton to find a
suitable room. This committee applied itself diligently to the task, and
by January arrangements had been concluded to have the meetings
held in Room No. 44, Bible House, Astor Place, at a monthly rent of
$12.50. The arrangement was made for a period of five months only,
and at the end of that time the agreement was allowed to expire
without a renewal. About a week before the end of the five month
period, Norton had proposed that other arrangements be made. His
motion was carried and resulted in a new committee of four members,
24 THE EARLY YEARS
Norton, Edward S. Cummings, Foskett, and Oliver.12 The meetings
of May 12th and 19th were necessarily held at Sage's home which was
now at 24 Division Street.
The new committee resolved to re-establish contact with the Dir-
ectors of Cooper Institute, and they were informed that if a petition
addressed to the Board of Directors of the Cooper Institute were pre-
pared, it was probable that a room would be given for the use of the
Society in the course of two months. This information resulted in a
new committee to find a temporary room for the immediate future.
This committee consisted of Jaudon, Oliver, and Mortimer S. Brown.13
The meeting of June 9th was held at 839 Broadway, and those of June
14th and October 13th at the room of the American Geographical
Society in Clinton Hall, but these were only temporary expedients.14
A petition was drawn up and addressed to the Board of Directors of
Cooper Institute on May 24th,15 and on June I4th the entire matter
was put into the hands of Frank H. Norton. The Directors of Cooper
Institute responded with an offer for the temporary use of a room at a
"moderate charge per night," but they added that they were in the
process of forming a "Society of Arts" connected with the Union. It
was expected that this organization would begin to function in the
Fall of 1859, and at that time the American Numismatic Society could
become a section of the new "Society of Arts" and continue to use the
room without cost.18 At the informal meeting of October 13th this
information was communicated to the Society, and at the meeting
of October 2oth, Norton and Oliver were appointed as a committee
to draft resolutions to Cooper Union regarding the room given the
Society.
The answer forwarded to the Directors of Cooper Institute must have
rejected the possibility of merging the fledgling American Numismatic
Society into the newer but more ambitious "Society of Arts." Perhaps
the membership of the Society was not prepared to lose its identity and
to become merely a section of a larger group. This was, in the final
analysis, a wise course of action, but for the moment it meant that the
Society was without a home just as it lacked incorporation. This was
to be an important factor in the hiatus of activities for four years.
Still another instance must be recorded in which an attempt was
185&-1864 25
made to accomplish something, but in which no conclusion was
reached. As in all organizations, the symbols of the group are almost as
important as its real existence. Barely one month after Sage had pro-
posed the incorporation of the Society he again rose at a meeting on
February 19, 1859, to suggest that a committee of three be appointed
to draft a certificate of membership, "and an amendment was added
to entrust the same committee with the duty of drawing a plan for a
seal." This committee was composed of William S. Frederick Mayers,17
Oliver, and Sage. These three probably did not take their work very
seriously because on five separate occasions, from February through
April in 1859, they merely reported "progress" to the Society. Abso-
lutely nothing seems to have been accomplished that would present
the group with a seal and certificate of membership. It was a repetition
of the unfortunate attempts to secure incorporation and to find suita-
ble quarters.
There were, however, signs of distinct accomplishment in other
branches of the activities of the Society. The Society was not wealthy
nor well endowed, but there were sufficient funds for the routine
matters at hand. The first treasurer's report, made on May n, 1858,
listed the expenditures of the Society since its foundation at $7.50 for
printing, $2.50 for books for the use of the officers, and fifty cents used
for postage. This left a balance in the treasure of $8.50. By the time of
the second treasurer's report, made on October 13, 1859, just one week
before the last meeting prior to the Civil War, the cash on hand after
payment of all expenses was $23.83, and still another $56.00 was due
in payments to the Society. Thus the total assets of the Society just
before the four year hiatus from 1859 to 1864 were $79.83.
But the small financial capacity of the Society cannot be taken as
the only measure of its influence. From a very early date it expanded its
membership lists by the inclusion of corresponding and honorary
members. The first of the corresponding members was Charles B.
Endicott of Boston who was elected at the meeting of August 24,1858.
Endicott continued his connection as a corresponding member until
1864. The first of the honorary members, unanimously elected on
June 17, 1858, was Benson J. Lossing, of Dover Plains, New York,
later the author of a long work on the Civil War.18 In his letter of
26 THE EARLY YEARS
acceptance Lossing indicated his clear understanding of the goals of
the Society when he wrote, "While my limited knowledge of the inter-
esting and highly important subject which forms the object of your
association, would not entitle me to active membership therein, I
assure you that I feel a deep concern in such investigations, so kindred
to those in which I have been engaged. In that interest you have
perceived a reason for enrolling me among you, as a fellow delver.
I most cheerfully accept the preferred honor, and beg you to receive
my cordial thanks, and my earnest best wishes for the success of your
enterprise. It is the hand-maid and co-worker with History, and is one
of its most reliable aids in discovering truths and errors in the chronicles
of the race."19
Requests for information concerning the Society on behalf of private
individuals came from others in Boston, Cincinnati, and in Maine and
Kentucky. The name of the Society and some short notices of its
activities appeared in the local papers.20 The same items were copied
in the more distant journals and two letters in the archives of the
Society from the early months of 1859 refer to an article describing it
in the Portland Maine Transcript.21 The American Numismatic Society
became the model for similar groups in other cities. Some gentlemen
in Buffalo considered starting such an association, and on July 18,
1859, William P. Thompson of that city wrote to Norton requesting a
copy of the Constitution and By-laws.22 Most of these societies were
founded much later, but the impetus given to such groups by the
formation of the Society in New York was all important. The Boston
Numismatic Society was organized in 1860 and incorporated a decade
later; the society in New Haven was formed in 1862 and that in
Montreal at the end of the same year. Two years later the Rhode
Island Numismatic Association was established, and in 1866 the New
England Numismatic and Archaeological Society. The Essex County
Antiquarian and Numismatic Society at Newark, New Jersey, appeared
in 1869,23 the Vermont Numismatic Society at Burlington in 1876.
The Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society at Pittsburgh was
founded in 1878 but dissolved in 1889, the Numismatic and Archae-
ological Society of Baltimore came into being in 1880, and the Chicago
Numismatic and Archaeological Society in the same year. In addition
1858-1864 27
there were many informal groups which discussed the possibility of
forming societies such as one in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1875;
but, like the Buffalo group, it appears to have failed.24
The Society achieved distinction fairly early as a body of men de-
voted to the science of numismatics. As early as the twelfth regular
meeting, November 19, 1858, Mayers delivered a paper on "The
Literature of American Numismatics" to the assembled group. There
is no record of exactly what was contained in this first formal address to
the American Numismatic Society, but it was the fore-runner of an
increasing number of such papers that have continued as a series to
the present day. Offers of aid and questions regarding coins and other
objects began to reach the Society. Less than a year after the formation
of the group Josiah Brewer of Stockbridge, Mass., wrote to the Society
offering the services of his son Fisk who was in Athens and might be
of aid in coin purchases and the like. Fisk P. Brewer, a nephew of
Cyrus W. Field, who laid the Atlantic cable, held the position of
tutor at Yale where he had arranged the numismatic collection, and
he had gone to Greece to further his studies.25 Presumably the Society
did not avail itself of this tempting offer because of lack of funds for
coin purchases, but the very fact that the offer was made is significant
of rapid rise in its reputation.
The existence of a scholarly group devoted to the study of numisma-
tics also presented the increasing number of devotees and collectors
with a source from which they could seek answers to their questions.
At the meeting of December 2, 1858, the Corresponding Secretary
read a letter from a gentleman in Cincinnati asking for information
regarding a vase in which were inserted a number of silver coins. The
description was inadequate, and therefore it was requested that the
object be shipped to New York so that it might be examined. On
January 12, 1859, a committee consisting of Frank H. Norton as
chairman, and William S. Frederick Mayers and Augustus Sage as
members, was appointed to investigate and to report on this problem.
Close scrutiny revealed that the cup was not over 150 years old and
was probably of German manufacture. Perhaps it was intended as a
wine heater or muller to be set near a fire. The report of the Com-
mittee was printed in full in the local press.26
28 THE EARLY YEARS
Not only was the Society a focal point for questions of individuals,
but since the group in Philadelphia was the only competing association
in the United States, it was incumbent upon the two groups to maintain
contact with one another and to establish relations with the older
societies which had flourished in Europe for a much longer period of
time. One of the members of the Philadelphia Society devised a new
accurate standard of measurements for coins and medals. This new
standard was adopted by the Philadelphia group, and Dr. Collet, the
creator of this standard, communicated the details of its use to the
American Numismatic Society at the meeting of October 20, 1859.
A committee was appointed to study the merits of the new scale, but
there was no further action taken because of the hiatus in the
activities of the Society following that meeting. It was adopted at the
first meeting in 1864.
Somewhat earlier the Society had established cordial relations with
the London Numismatic Society.27 Like most other European societies
which have their counterparts in the United States there was a
considerable gap between the foundation dates of the two organizations.
Thus the London body was the senior when on April 21, 1859, the
American Numismatic Society decided to present the proofs of the
current years' issues of American coins and requested every member
to contribute coins for the gift. On May 19th a committee of three,
Jaudon, Sage, and Oliver, was appointed to gather the coins from
members, but there must have been a delay in completing this task
for on June I4th the Secretary was directed to notify the absent
members to contribute coins for this purpose. On October 26, 1859,
Frank H. Norton made the donation which was accompanied by a
letter, addressed to the President and Members of the Numismatic
Society of London, expressing the desire of the New York society to
open a correspondence which might prove "equally advantageous and
agreeable to both parties."28 It cannot be doubted that the body in
London took cognizance of this generous gift, but it must be borne in
mind that the American Numismatic Society held its last meeting
before the Civil War on October 20, 1859, and as a result there is no
record of anything further regarding this.
The Society, while engaged in sending gifts abroad, was also
New York City Mission and Tract Society-Bible House
Frank H. Norton
William I.. Bramhall
Fourth Avenue between Seventh and Eighth Streets in 1861.
Bible House (left] and Cooper Union (center)
Joseph N. T. Lcvick
Isaac J. Greenwood
1858-1864 29
anxiously seeking donations at home for its own library and collections.
As early as April 20, 1858, the Corresponding Secretary was directed
to address the members of the legislature soliciting gifts of books. The
first donation came from William Henry Seward, who in 1858 was
serving in the U. S. Senate and speaking to great audiences against the
Dred Scott decision. Gifts were also received from many of the individual
members of the Society; and in the revised Constitution, as we have
seen, provision was made for a Librarian. This first incumbent was
James D. Foskett who had earlier been Chairman of the Committee
on Library. The acquisition of books for the library continued to be
a major problem; before any purchase could be made it apparently
had to have the approval of the entire body of the membership.
Probably the most graphic example of what might result from such a
condition is to be found in the story of the acquisition of John Howard
Hickox's Historical Account of American Coinage. On August 24, 1858,
Foskett recommended that a copy of that volume be purchased, and
the members directed him to complete such a transaction at the price
he quoted. But by September the price of the book had been raised,
and the Librarian returned for further instructions. At the meeting of
October 21st Foskett again recommended the purchase, but there
was no second for his motion, which was then withdrawn. On January
65 1859, the situation was resolved when Hickox was elected an
honorary member of the Society, and his letter of acceptance stated
that he was donating a copy of his work.29 Hickox had come to the
attention of the Society because he had made a donation of the
Catalogue of the New York State Library. Since he was apparently
one of the trustees of that library, he was granted an honorary member-
ship in the Society.
The nucleus of the library of the Society was formed during the
first two years of its existence. Barely four months after the first formal
meeting of the group, Sage referred to the condition of the library
in a letter stating, "We have the first English work on the subject
'Rice Vaughn's Discourse on Coin and Coinage, 1675,' also the first
edition of Pinkerton's 'Essay on Medals,' Wyatt's 'Am. Gen'ls and
Commanders,' Ludwig's 'Introduction to German Numismatics,'
etc."30 There is not in existence a complete catalogue of the library
30 THE EARLY YEARS
holdings for this early period, but one was evidently prepared at the
time. On December 2, 1858, a committee composed of Mayers,
Norton, Foskett, Bramhall, and Hill was appointed for the specific
task of drawing up a catalogue of numismatic books. In any event the
library and numismatic collections were subject to strict regulations
governing their use after February 3, 1859, when it was decided
"That no book, coin or other property of the Numismatic Society
shall be taken from the rooms of the Society, nor leave the custody
of its proper officer without a majority vote of the members present
at a regular meeting;" and "That every book, coin or other article
borrowed, shall be registered as such with the name of its borrower
by the officer in charge of the same, or in his absence, by the presiding
officer of the evening." Nothing borrowed could be retained "for a
longer period than two weeks."
The coin cabinet of the Society also was founded during this first
two year period. The first donation of which there is a record in the
minutes occurred on November 19, 1858, when David M. Balfour of
Boston gave "several valuable coins" to the Society.31 Nothing more
is known of Balfour other than the fact that on two occasions in
November 1858 he sent coins to the Society and thus may be considered
the founder of the great collection which now exists.
The Curator, an office established by the Constitution of September
14th to replace that of Actuary, had charge of the coins and was re-
quested to catalogue them in the order of their reception. The list of
donors constantly grew; early in 1859 a record was made of the gift of
a pattern guinea of George III by Charles Endicott who was a corre-
sponding member of the Society.32 By March 17, 1859, as a result of
efforts on the part of individual members of the Society, the collection
was large enough to warrant a report from the Curator decribing the
coins and medals. Various institutions were now sending copies of
their medals to the Society for the collection. St. John's College,
Fordham, sent a copy of the silver medal given to the best student in
each of the three lower classes of undergraduates.33 The Syracuse
Mechanics Association received a vote of thanks on April 28th for
their donation of a bronze medal, and the Ohio State Board of
Agriculture also sent a copy of their bronze medal a month later. The
1858-1864 31
Franklin Institute of Syracuse dispatched a copy of their bronze medal
on April 25, 1859; and on August 6, 1859, the Worcester County
Mechanic's Association sent a copy of the medal which they awarded
at fairs and a printed impression of their seal. Somewhat later, on
October 1st, an electrotype copy of the seal itself was sent.
The correspondence of this period in the archives of the Society and
the record kept in the minutes indicate that a fairly large number of
donations of coins as well as medals were received during the first two
years of its existence. Arrangements were even made with the officials
of the United States Mint to forward proof copies of the coinage. The
future of the Society must have seemed assured at that last meeting on
October 20, 1859, and there is no intimation in the minutes of any
expectation that it would be the last meeting for four long and
tumultous years. The problem of finding a suitable room for the Society
to meet in was, of course, the primary obstacle in 1859 because the
one offered by the Cooper Institute was rejected.34 This in itself was a
condition which would have been remedied, but there is a deeper and
more significant reason for the loss of interests in the activities of the
Society at that time. The answer, of course, lies in the agitation which
culminated in the Civil War. On October 16, 1859, John Brown, the
abolitionist, conducted his memorable raid on the Federal arsenal at
Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Though he was taken by Capt. Robert
E. Lee and hanged later that year, his raid stirred great emotions and
created a temporary sensation. Secession was in the air throughout
the South and as early as 1856, when Buchanan was elected President
the southern governors had met in a secret conclave to plan a course
of action should General Fremont win. Governor Wise of Virginia had
drawn up plans to raise an army of 20,000 men for the purpose of
seizing Washington to prevent the inauguration of Fremont. Happily
that crisis had passed without the problem being brought into the
arena of open warfare, but in the interval presented by Buchanan's
weak rule had come the Dred Scott decision and now John Brown's
raid. It was realized that the election of 1860 would be crucial, for
should the Republicans succeed, secession was a virtual certainty.
Tension mounted throughout the country as the entire people neared
the abyss of fractricidal conflict. The election of Lincoln in 1860
32 THE EARLY YEARS
followed by the secession of South Carolina at the end of the same
year, led to the open hostilities of the Civil War.
In such momentous times it is not surprising that a newly formed
and barely established Society devoted to the peaceful pursuits of study
should suffer. Without a room in which to meet and with many young
men of military age on its roster of members, one need not look further
for the causes of this hiatus in the activities of the American Numis-
matic Society.
G
REBIRTH AND GROWTH
1864-1873
<an numismatics ever become a popular pursuit among Ameri-
cans?" This question was seriously posed in a discerning article in
June of 1867.1 The answer was in the affirmative, but the fact that such
a question could arise at that date is indicative of the problem which
faced the Society in the last months of the Civil War. From October
of 1859 through January of 1864, it was impossible to hold meetings.
Several attempts were made, but a quorum could not be assembled.
On February 5, 1864, some three months after Lincoln's Gettysburg
address and seven months after the battle which marked the turning
point in the conflict, efforts to revive the Society were crowned with
success. Dr. George H. Perine, a physician in New York City offered
his home at 6 East 22nd Street as a meeting place, and members of the
pre-war group, Brown, Greenwood, Norton, Groh, and Oliver
attended.2 Dr. Perine, of course, was elected to membership in the
Society at this meeting, and a vote of thanks was tendered to him
"for his kindness in inviting the Society to meet at his home." At the
same time three other men of this city were also enrolled in the Society,
and among them was F. Augustus Wood, who changed his name to
Isaac F. Wood in 1868. In the course of the history of the American
Numismatic Society, it will be necessary to trace the career of Wood
in numismatics because of the numerous capacities in which he served
s 33
34 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
the group. Certainly he was a man possessed of a droll sense of humor
which is amply expressed in the letters written by him and preserved
in the archives of the Society. Wood was born of Quaker stock in 1841,
in the old Seventh Ward of New York City, then appropriately known
as the Quaker Ward. His family was a prominent one and had been
interested in many of the charities of the city. In 1862, he graduated
from Haverford College, and became a member of the firm of William
Wood and Co., one of the leading publishers in the city. In time,
however, he severed his connection with that corporation and devoted
himself solely to the pursuit of numismatics. In later life he moved to
Rahway, New Jersey, but he managed to maintain his connections
with the Society until his death in 1895.3
The revived American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, as
it now styled itself was clearly envisioned as a continuation of the
American Numismatic Society which had been founded before the
Civil War. The minutes were continued in the same book, references
were made to the Constitution and to the previous meetings, and
there was continuity of membership. Even some of the problems which
had faced the founders had carried over through the war years and
were now combined with others that had newly arisen. The first and
most pressing of these problems concerned a place to meet. Lack of
an adequate meeting place had been one of the important factors in
the hiatus of activity during the war. The new group resolved to face
this question firmly. A committee consisting of Norton and Greenwood
was promptly formed for the purpose of obtaining a suitable room. On
February 18th the Society met once again, but this time the meeting
place was the Society Library on University Place, and on that
occasion Norton and Greenwood reported that the very room within
which they were then meeting could be had at two dollars per evening.
The committee was instructed to engage the room without stipulating
the length of time of occupancy, but an error had been made in
reporting the rent. As a result the next meeting, held two weeks later,
convened in the office of President Dodge. Since the rent was now
quoted at three dollars per evening, it was decided to engage the room
for a period of six months. These transactions could not be completed
in time for the next meeting on March 11 th, but F. Augustus Wood
1864-1873 35
made his home available for that meeting. Something went wrong in
the final arrangements, however, and two weeks later the committee
reported having paid five dollars for the room and stated that they had
engaged it for a six month period. Greenwood, who was a member of
the committee, had contributed the additional two dollars in the hope
of seeing at least that problem put to rest.
It was a vain hope, for there were occasions when they met else-
where, at the homes of the President and Dr. Perine. In the latter part
of 1867 it was found possible to secure a meeting place in the Hall of
the Board of Education at the corner of Grand and Elm Streets. On
May 27, 1869, they met at the College of the City of New York, at the
corner of 23rd Street and Lexington Avenue, where a division of the
City College still stands. It was probably as a result of the interest of
Professor Charles E. Anthon of the Classics Department, of whom
much more will be said, that the Society was able to secure permission
to meet at the college. A three year lapse in the minutes occurs after
1870 "caused mainly by the then Recording Secretary Mr. Abraham
Redlich neglecting to preserve in any form his memoranda of trans-
actions." When the record resumes, it is noted that they were still
meeting at the college.4
No sooner had the Society been restored to an active state, however,
than the legislative penchant of the numismatists, which had been
dormant during the war, came to the fore again. At the meeting of
March 24, 1864, it was decided that a committee should be established
to revise the Constitution. The election of officers the previous week
had shown that the newer members were taking as active a part in the
activities of the Society as those who had joined before the war and it
was therefore not illogical to permit them some say in the form of
organization.5 This committee quickly advised an "entire remodelling"
of the Constitution. By the end of June of the same year the committee
had completed its task and presented the results which were voted
upon and accepted in toto. A new committee consisting of the same
membership as the last, was organized for the purpose of printing the
new Constitution and By-Laws.6 A pre-war problem was revived
when this new committee recommended that an imprint of the seal
of the Society be placed upon the title page of the Constitution.
3*
36 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
Printing was begun even before the design of the seal was completed,
but of course the title page was delayed. A committee of three had
been appointed as early as May 12, 1864, to design a seal and certifi-
cate of membership, but they had apparently accomplished very
little.7 Eventually the title page of the Constitution was printed without
an imprint of the seal, and it is in that form that it has survived.8
Designing and executing a seal for the Society remained a problem,
and on April 13, 1865, the report of the committee was ordered to be
the special business of the next meeting. Work on the seal was inter-
rupted for a month by the assassination of President Lincoln on
April 14, 1865. The committee then reported that they had held a
meeting and agreed upon a plan which would be presented at the next
meeting. By June 8th the certificate of membership, also the responsi-
bility of that committee, was being printed, and two weeks later the
certificates were presented along with an impression of the first seal
of the Society.
The first seal was simplicity itself since it contained nothing but
lettering, nor was the motto of the Society in evidence as yet. An
inscription with the words AMERICAN NUMISMATIC AND ARCHAE-
OLOGICAL SOCIETY ran semi-circularly along the sides and top, sepa-
rated by hyphens from the words NEW YORK at the bottom. Within
this semi-circular Society name there was a six-line inscription
FOUNDED / 1857 / REORGANIZED / 1864 / INCORPORATED / 1865. Thus
the history of the organization was given in short compass on the
seal. Unfortunately, this seal is no longer in existence, but a single
impression of it occurs on the title page of the printed Articles of
Incorporation of 1865.9
This seal lacked distinction and was not very pleasing aesthetically.
Thus the problem of a truly suitable seal and certificate of membership
arose again in 1867. At a special meeting on July 16th it was decided
to re-open the entire question, and a committee was appointed to
provide a suitable certificate of membership.10 The committee for a
new seal was composed of John F. McCoy, Robert Hewitt, Jr., and
Professor Charles E. Anthon.11
The interests of the third member of the committee, Professor
Anthon, lead one to believe that he was the moving spirit of the com-
1864-1873 37
mittee. He was a well known educator and the son of a prominent
lawyer, John Anthon, as well as the nephew of Charles Anthon, an
eminent classical scholar at Columbia University. Charles E. Anthon
was born in 1823 and after graduation from Columbia at sixteen, he
spent some years in Europe engaged in travel and study.12 Upon his
return he was elected to the chair of history in St. John's College,
Annapolis, Maryland, but in 1852 he came to New York as professor
of history and belles-lettres at the New York Free Academy, which
later became the College of the City of New York. He remained at the
City College until March of 1883 when, as a result of ill health, he re-
signed and two months later went to Europe where he died in the
following June.13 His abilities as a scholar and teacher were recognized
by the honorary degree of Master of Arts given to him by Columbia
in 1853, and by the Doctorate of Laws conferred by the University
of the City of New York in 1866. Professor Anthon was first attracted
to the study of numismatics and began his collection in 1865, and he
pursued it avidly until his death.14 He was elected a resident member
of the reorganized Society in December of the following year and his
abilities were quickly recognized. His career during the period
1866-1883 paralleled the history of the Society, and there is therefore
no need to trace it in detail at this point.15
Professor Anthon managed to connect many of his activities with
numismatics or medallic art, and almost all his writings deal with those
subjects. He designed the seal of the College of the City of New York
with the type of a female head, trifrons, with long flowing hair, and
the motto Respice, Adspice, Prospice. In 1868 the faculty of the College
adopted a resolution signed by their President, Horace Webster, their
Secretary, Gerardus B. Docharty, and the professors individually,
requesting Senator Edwin D. Morgan of New York to act to secure a
uniformity of coinage for the United States, France, and Great
Britain.16 It seems almost certain that the hand of Professor Anthon
is to be seen in that resolution, and also in the fact that a commemor-
ative medal for the College was issued in 1867.17
Professor Anthon was decidedly a man of action, and by October
24th a design for the new seal was exhibited by the committee of which
he was a member.18 The classical design of the new seal of the Society
38 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
makes it probable that Anthon was its creator. The seal shows three
oak leaves, with the center leaf vertical, joined to a single stem. At the
points where the leaves join the stem, four acorns are displayed. A
scroll running in a semicircle above the leaves contains the inscription
"Parva ne pereant" (let not the little things perish), and the name of the
Society in Latin "Sod. Amer. Numis. et Archaeol." runs semi-circularly
around below the leaves. The entire seal is bordered with a chain of
fleur de lis.19 The actual seal itself was cut by George H. Lovett and
impressions of it were displayed at the meeting of November 14, 1867,
and accepted by the Society. Lovett received a vote of thanks on
February 13, 1868.20
The new seal, of course, was widely used, but it has not continued
to be the corporate seal of the Society. The type remains the same but
the form of representation has been modified, and a certain grace and
delicacy mark its present form. Unfortunately there has been no explan-
ation of the iconographical significance of the design, but at least
the motto of the Society has been the subject of some comment.21
The men who met at Dr. Perine's home in 1864 were not organizing
a group de now. The treasury of the Society was not empty, for on June
30, 1864, it was found that the pre-war accounts had been properly
kept and that there was a balance of thirty-eight dollars and eighty-
three cents. In addition, of course, there were the lists of past members,
and at the same meeting the Recording Secretary was directed to
write to the members who had not paid dues, to learn whether they
were desirous of continuing their connection with the Society.
By March of 1865, the reorganized Society had been functioning
for just over one year, and the new Constitution and By-Laws required
that a so-called annual meeting be held on the fourth Thursday of the
month.22 As a result, at the first meeting of that month a committee of
five members "was appointed to consider the matter of an annual
gathering of the members and friends of the Society, and also of an
exhibition of the collections belonging to the Society, and other matters
in connexion therewith." This committee reported favorably on the
project at the annual meeting of March 23rd, but it was thought that
a special meeting would be necessary to plan the affair. A week later
at the special meeting, a Special Committee of Arrangement was
1864-1873 39
appointed, but apparently there was some difficulty in carrying the
project to completion because on April 13th it was decided to postpone
the exhibition and annual celebration indefinitely. In this fashion the
first year of the revived Society passed without any particular note.
The custom of the annual meeting which was first inserted in the Con-
stitution and By-Laws of 1865, however, has continued to the present,
day.
One very important matter still remained unresolved. The founders
of the Society had begun action to secure incorporation but nothing
came of their efforts. This was recognized as a difficulty, and on
November 10, 1864, about ten months after the reorganization was
begun, F. Augustus Wood suggested that a committee be appointed
to look into the matter. This committee applied itself diligently to the
task with Wood apparently taking the foremost part.23 Wood must
have written to the Secretary of State of New York about the question
because a member of the Department of the Secretary of State indi-
cated that there was no record of any organization of the same or of
a similar name.24
The committee reported its findings on the mode of incorporation
at the first meeting in December, but it was laid over to a future date.
This, however, did not preclude Wood from contacting an attorney.
Joseph K. Murray, a lawyer from the financial district of the city,
after proper inquiry and research assured Wood that as of January 20,
1865, there was no impediment to incorporating the Society under its
current title of American Numismatic and Archaeological Society.25
By January 26, 1865, all was in readiness and a new committee often
was appointed to carry out the incorporation. The offices of Curator
and Librarian, however, were still held by one man, Edward Groh,
and this was not in accord with the provisions of the new Constitution.28
On February 9, 1865, the two offices were divided by the election of a
Librarian, Frank Leathe.27 This cleared the way for the incorporation
and Wood, with his accustomed energy, pushed the matter to a con-
clusion.28 The act of Incorporation dated May 16, 1865, was accom-
plished over the signature of seven officers of the Society at the time,
Frank H. Norton, President; Isaac J. Greenwood, Jr., 2nd Vice-
President; James Oliver, Recording Secretary; F. Augustus Wood,
40 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
Corresponding Secretary; John Hanna, Treasurer; Frank Leathe,
Librarian; and Edward Groh, Curator. In addition, Daniel Parish,
Jr., and William Wood Seymour, signed as members of the Society,
and Joseph K. Murray, the attorney, as a witness. It is certainly
strange that the only officer missing from the list of incorporators was
Dr. George H. Perine, 1st Vice-President, but there is no satisfactory
explanation for this fact. On May nth, the Society voted to print the
Act of Incorporation, and this was done some time in June after it
had been accepted by the State.29
For some reason the attorney's services with regard to the act of
incorporation were not found completely satisfactory to the members;
when the committee presented a copy of the documents, an objection
was made to a clause recommending that a vote of thanks be tendered
to the attorney, and it was decided to expunge it. It was then suggested
that a committee of three be appointed to wait on Murray and to
request him to present a bill for his services, but this also was rejected.
The President finally vacated the chair to move that the Corresponding
Secretary be directed to convey the thanks of the Society to Joseph
K. Murray "for his kind attention to the furthering of the objects of
the Society in obtaining their incorporation." This was adopted.
Despite the fact that continuity with the earliest stage of the Society
was clearly fixed in the minds of those who reorganized it in 1864, it
is not surprising to find that many people had forgotten that such a
society existed in New York. This is perhaps best illustrated by the
letter from Henry Champion of the New Haven Numismatic Society
to F. Augustus Wood.30 Wood had written twice to New Haven in
March and early April with regard to the catalogue of the Yale College
Collection. Champion after acknowledging the receipt of those two
letters went on to say, in part, "I write now to gain a little information
in regard to the American Numismatic SocietyI made some in-
quiries a few months since in regard to the New York Numismatic
Society, and was surprised at being informed that there was no such
organization and in fact no Numismatic Society in the city. Your
letter was the first intimation that I have received of its existence
lately." Champion's inquiries had been prompted by the fact that
the New Haven Numismatic Society had struck a medal in tin and had
1864-1873 41
voted to present a copy of that medal to each of several societies in-
cluding the New York group. Wood's letter, coming as it did after the
failure of previous efforts to locate a New York Numismatic Society,
presented a problem to Champion. He therefore advised Wood that
if the American Numismatic Society proved to be the only one in the
city he would forward the medal to it, but if there should prove to be
another society of like purpose, he would endeavor to have the New
Haven Numismatic Society present a second medal to the American
Numismatic and Archaeological Society.
The New Haven group had been organized in 1862, but it was still
in its formative stages, and its constitution though fully accepted had
not been printed. Their affairs were conducted on a rather informal basis,
and regular meetings appear to have been held rather infrequently.31 It
was therefore just about a month later that Henry Champion was able
to write to Wood and inform him that the New Haven Numismatic
Society had deemed it best to consider the American Numismatic and
Archaeological Society as the one referred to in their earlier resolution
and in consequence were sending the medal.32 Actually this decision to
recognize the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society as the
one in question was not as simple as it appears to be at first glance, for
there were in New York at that time two numismatic societies.
At the very first meeting of the reorganized American Numismatic
and Archaeological Society, Frank H. Norton had informed the group
that he had received an invitation and had even attended a meeting
for the purpose of forming a society to be called the "New York
Numismatic Society." He moved that a committee be immediately
appointed to confer with a committee of the projected society with the
object in mind of consolidating the two bodies. Norton and Oliver
were promptly appointed to carry out this resolution.
In the absence of an active organization devoted to numismatic
pursuits during the last stages of the war, some citizens of the city who
were interested in the subject met in answer to invitations at the home
of Robert Hewitt, Jr., at 32 West 21st Street, on the evening of January
23, 1864, for the purpose of founding such a group. There were a
number present at that meeting who had been members of the Society
before the war, and many who had no previous connection with any
42 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
numismatic organization later became important members.33 In any
event, the men who gathered at Hewitt's home were not unaware of
the existence of the American Numismatic Society. Norton made a
statement at that very first meeting regarding the past and present
condition of the older organization, but it was not very hopeful for the
future of the Society, if one can judge from the fact that the very next
order of business was to appoint a committee to draft a constitution
and by-laws for the new group. The new constitution was written and
approved at the next meeting on February 6, 1864, and the New York
Numismatic Society was fairly launched on its short career. Its history
as a society runs parallel to that of the early days of the American
Numismatic and Archaeological Society, in that a great deal of time
was spent on formal organization and such matters as the designing
of a seal and the like.
Once they had attained a fair state of organization and had received
their first donations,34 they were not inclined to disband their group or
to merge it into the newly reorganized American Numismatic and
Archaeological Society. As a result, Norton and Oliver reported on
February 18th that their conference with their opposite numbers of the
New York Numismatic Society had resulted in the conclusion "that
no arrangement concerning a junction of the two Societies could be
effected." They were accordingly discharged. By July of 1866, however,
the situation had changed materially. The fifth regular meeting of the
new society was held on April 16, 1864, but for the next two years the
group seems ot have remained dormant. The new society had started its
career with a larger number of members than the American Numis-
matic and Archaeological Society, and with several prominent citizens
among them, but after the first five meetings it appears to have been
unable to maintain its momentum. It was very quickly evident to
leaders of the new group that it would be impossible to hold meetings.35
The leaders therefore decided that a merger with the American
Numismatic and Archaeological Society was desirable. Such a merger
involved the dissolution of the New York Numismatic Society as
an entity, but it was done with grace. In July of 1866. J. N. T. Levick
presented a proposal for such a dissolution. The preamble and the
resolution itself state most clearly the decision arrived at by the group:
1864-1873 43
The undersigned, a majority of the members of the 'New York Numismatic
Society' deeming it inexpedient to longer continue the existence of that Society as an
organization, and desiring as far as possible to aid and benefit the 'American Num.
& Arch. Society', have passed the following resolutions:
RESOLVEDThat on and after the 31st day of July 1866, the N. Y. Numismatic
Society is and shall be permanently dissolved.
RESOLVEDThat the Curator and Treasurer of said Society be instructed to
make over to the Am. Num. & Arch. Society, all property belonging to said Society
now in their possession."
(Signed) W. C. Prime Jno F. McCoy
J. N. T. Levick Wm. H. Strobridge
R. Hewitt, Jr. C. DeF. Burns
Wm. Anderson Jos. E. Gay Jas. Earle36
Loring Watson John A. Nexson
During the summer of 1866, however, the American Numismatic
and Archaeological Society did not meet regularly, and it was not
until October 25th that official notice was taken of the action of the
New York Numismatic Society. At a meeting held on that date it was
ordered that the resolutions of the now defunct group be entered in
the minutes, and that Levick, Hanna, and Groh be appointed to
receive the property of the New York organization. Notice of these
changes and the resolution were published by the American Numis-
matic and Archaeological Society at the time.37 There was, however,
some delay before the transfer of all property was effected, and in
November of the same year the special committee appointed to oversee
that transfer merely reported "progress" and not the completion of
the task.
The New York Numismatic Society was now only a memory, and
the minute book of that organization was transferred to the American
Numismatic and Archaeological Society along with its other property.
There it rested with none to disturb it until March 25, 1869, when by
some error the minutes of the American Numismatic and Archaeological
Society began to be regularly entered in it. This practice continued
until January 27th of the following year when it was discovered, and
the Executive Committee of the Society decided that those minutes
should be properly recorded in the right minute book and that the
minute book of the New York Numismatic Society should be "perma-
44 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
nently preserved in the Library as a memento of the late 'N. Y. Numis-
matic Society'"38
On April 14, 1865, Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth President of the
United States, was cruelly assassinated as he sat in Ford's Theater in
Washington. A cry of anguish went up from the nation, and the train
which took the body of the fallen President from Washington back to
Springfield, Illinois, passed along tracks which were lined with mourn-
ful people. Walt Whitman wrote two poems "When Lilacs Last in the
Dooryard Bloom'd" and "O Captain! My Captain!" which were
published in the Sequel to Drum Taps commemorating the passing of
the great President. Individually and collectively the citizens reacted
to the martyrdom of Lincoln. The American Numismatic and Archae-
ological Society held a special meeting on April 27th to take action on
the death of President Lincoln. Dr. Perine, Leathe, and Hanna were
appointed a special committee to draft resolutions on the melancholy
event. These three men retired from the room, but returned shortly
and presented a resolution which was carried. "RESOLVED, That
since it is the duty of this Society to perpetuate the memorials of
historic greatness, we will cause to be struck in bronze a medal,
designed to commemorate the life and perpetuate the name of Abraham
Lincoln; and that a Committee be appointed to carry this resolution
into effect."39 Leathe was then asked to prepare a copy of this resolution
for the press. At the next meeting, that of May nth, the work was
pushed forward as quickly as possible, and on the motion of Leathe,
a committee headed by John Hanna was given charge of the striking
of a medal. The task of the committee involved obtaining estimates of
probable expenses and also raising funds to carry out the terms of the
resolution, but they were not authorized to make contracts. They might
merely confer with the agents of designers, medallists, and die-sinkers.40
By that date a circular had already been published telling of the
proposed medal in honor of Abraham Lincoln. F. Augustus Wood,
who was never a man to permit action to be long delayed, wrote to
Bishop Wood of Philadelphia on the very next day. In his letter Wood
indicated that he was enclosing the circular and stated that the Society
was offering to "any person acting as agent for subscriptions a discount
of twenty percent when paid." He requested that the Bishop place this
1864-1873 45
circular and offer "in the hands of any responsible person to whom
the profit would be acceptable."41 The canvassing for funds had now
begun in earnest, but as Edward H. Coates, a corresponding member
from Philadelphia, pointed out in one of his letters to Wood, he had
"nothing to show or to promise except that it is the expectation of the
Society if the necessary funds are raised" to strike such a medal to aid him
in his canvassing. He suggested that a printed design be cheaply gotten
up with some little description and the double guarantee of the
return of paid funds should the medal not be struck, and that if struck
the price agreed upon for purchase would be the lowest offered either
before or after the medal was issued.42 Publicity, however, was not the
real problem because the New York Herald of May 18th carried a short
advertisement of the medal;43 and since the Herald was a very widely
read paper, questions came from as far afield as Washington, D. C.
and Rutland, Vermont, requesting further information.44
It is certain that the plan for the striking of a medal in honor of
Abraham Lincoln stirred up a certain amount of excitement, and by
May 2Oth a letter from the U. S. Mint had been received which pre-
sumably inquired about the medal. The exact contents are unknown
because it has not been preserved, but its receipt was sufficiently impor-
tant to be recorded in the minutes of the Society. There were by that
date eighty names listed among the subscribers, and it seemed quite
certain that the undertaking would be a success. Power was therefore
given to the committee headed by John Hanna to contract for the
dies and to complete all arrangements for the production and distribu-
tion of the medal. This served to stimulate the response to the project
to even greater heights, and by May 29th the number of subscribers
had swelled to one hundred and twenty and was still growing.45
It would seem as though some sort of competition were held, and
that after the inscription had been chosen by the committee, designs
were furnished by a number of die-sinkers with the final result that
the work of Emil Sigel of New York was pronounced to be the most
satisfactory and a contract was entered into between him and the
Society.46 Sigel himself was certainly not a prominent medallist.
Indeed, it would not be unfair to say that if he is recognized in any
way it is because the Society employed him for the Lincoln medal.47
46 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
One thing, however, must be said in favor of Sigel and that is that he
evidently got right down to work. In his letter to Hayden on May
29th, F. Augustus Wood pointed out that the medal was to be issued
at five dollars per copy, and that though the design was not as yet
completed it was expected that it would be within a very few days.48
Great progress was also made in publicizing the fact that the Society
was going to strike a medal to commemorate Abraham Lincoln, and
the various newspapers which occasionally carried notices of the
meetings of the Society published some of the details regarding the
production of the medal which were discussed at Society meetings. In
addition there were occasional notices which dealt only with the pro-
duction of the medal and not with the activities of the Society at all.49
This was true not only of New York newspapers but also of those as far
removed as Boston and Chicago. The local press naturally followed
the production of this medal to the very end with much greater detail
than did the more distant journals, but it is significant that it received
what amounted to nationwide publicity.50
By June 8th the work had progressed far enough so that the com-
mittee in charge could report that subscribers were being rapidly
obtained and they exhibited a wood cut design of the medal which was
to be used on a circular to aid in the sales. Apparently the Society
continued to print and distribute circulars about the new Lincoln
medal, and perhaps it was in connection with one such circular sent
to the Rhode Island Numismatic Society that William F. Barber was
made aware of the proposed medal. At any rate, on August 26th, he
wrote to the committee offering his services and mentioning the fact
that he was for many years a member of the Royal Academy of London,
and that in the course of his many years of experience he had prepared
a life size medallion of Lincoln which was considered a perfect likeness.51
Here then was a man who certainly seemed better suited for the task
in hand than Sigel, but the contract had been awarded to the latter
some three months earlier.52 George T. Paine, Vice-President of the
Rhode Island Numismatic Association, wrote a strong letter of re-
commendation in support of Barber's application to do the Lincoln
medal,53 but the matter had to be referred to John Hanna. Wood in-
formed Paine of that fact and also indicated his impression that the
1864-1873 47
dies were "already too far advanced towards completion to admit of
change."54 Hanna apparently agreed with Wood and added "I should
like very much to have had these letters about 6 weeks ago. At present
however they are I think valueless, as our dies are in too advanced a
state, & whether well or ill done we must father them."55 Wood, it
seems, was lax for the first time and did not respond to Barber because
on January 11, 1866, the medallist again wrote to the Society suggesting
that he be engaged to do the medal.56 On that occasion Daniel Parish,
Jr., answered him, "Unfortunately for your application, the work on
the medal has been given out as long ago as last June. So that, even
your application made last August would have been too late, to say
nothing of the recent one. The die of the medal has so nearly reached
completion, that an impression in solder has been already exhibited,
and those in bronze are looked for every day."67
The medal itself was ready for the first strikings early in the year
1866, and a few impressions were made. It was then decided that present-
ations should be made to President Andrew Johnson and to George
Bancroft, the orator of the day, on the occasion of the anniversary
ceremony in memory of the birth of President Lincoln. At the meeting
of February 8, 1866, Dr. Perine was delegated to make the presentation.
This fact was reported in the press,58 and Dr. Perine promptly departed
for Washington where on February nth he formally presented im-
pressions of the medal to President Johnson and to Bancroft.59 Ap-
parently the committee in charge of the ceremonies had not been
advised in advance, and as a result it was impossible for them to have
Dr. Perine make the presentation on February 12th without disturbing
the program. The press reports, however, indicated that both President
Johnson and Bancroft were delighted with the presentations; and on
his return from Washington, Dr. Perine was called upon to give the
Society a verbal report of the ceremonies and to present a still more
detailed version at a later meeting.
But the matter of the Lincoln medal was not so easily concluded.
At the meeting of March 2nd the committee in charge of the medal
presented a list of institutions and persons to whom it thought the
medals ought properly to be sent, and on motion from the floor, the
Philadelphia, New Haven, and Boston Numismatic Societies were
48 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
added to the list. The expense involved in these presentations was con-
siderable, and it seems clear that the Society was still soliciting sub-
scribers. The circulars with the woodcut drawing were not a very
effective means of stimulating purchases because of the poor quality
of the woodcut and the fact that an attempt was made to print it in
bronze colored ink.60 It was certainly with one eye to the increased
revenue, and perhaps with the other to a wider distribution of the
medal abroad, that a letter was addressed to the firm of Stevens
Brothers in London to aid in obtaining subscriptions. This was done
before the first striking of impressions from the dies, and on February
14, 1866, Stevens Brothers responded by accepting the commission.
The woodcut prints which were sent to them, however, were not very
satisfactory, and as a result, on March 3, 1866, they wrote to the
Society once again requesting that some copies of the medal be sent to
them and indicating that as of that time they had only succeeded in
obtaining about half a dozen subscriptions.61 A sample medal in white
metal was prepared, exhibited to the Society on March 8th, and for-
warded to the London firm. About a month later, Wood wrote to the
London agents explaining the delay and telling them that he had
forwarded to them "three weeks since a sample medal in white
metal designed to exhibit fully the plan of the medal. The only bronze
medals yet struck were those presented to President Johnson and
Mr. Bancroft The dies were even then in an imperfect con-
dition. Since the finishing of the dies, however, the presses, which were
engaged on the Vanderbilt medal ordered by Congress, have broken
down, adding another to the long series of vexatious delays which have
constantly beset the path of the committee."82
The London firm, however, showed a certain prescience about the
matter when on April 18th they wrote to Wood acknowledging receipt
of the medals but adding, "The proof is much admired, and doubts
are expressed of the Society's being able to produce so good an im-
pression in solid bronze."63
At a special meeting on March 3oth the committee reported that
the medals were in the process of being struck, but on April 12th, to
the dismay of the members of the Society, Hanna read a communic-
ation from Sigel announcing the breaking of the dies of the Lincoln
Cooper Union (1859)
Hall of the Board of Education. Corner of Grand and Elm Streets (1854)
^
Dr. George H. IVrinc
John Hanna
Robert Hewitt, Jr.
Daniel Parish, Jr.
1864-1873 49
medal and suggesting that the medal be issued in tin. At the time the
dies broke only sixteen bronze medals and a few in white metal had
been issued. Unfortunately the dies were so shattered that no thought
could be given to future issues of the medals in a hard metal.64 The
situation was disastrous even though it was believed that medals could
have been issued on a softer planchet. The subject was not taken up
formally, however, until April 26th when it was decided to accept the
offer made by Sigel to strike the medal in tin provided that he would
guarantee the number of medals that would be issued perfectly. A
contemporary comment on the few medals that were successfully issued
in the harder bronze says that they "leave nothing to be desired, either
in sharpness and force of outline, or in the life-like appearance of the
portrait," and it goes on to predict that, "The medal will be a credit
to the artist and to the country."65
In London the firm of Stevens Brothers was busily engaged in
attempting to dispose of copies of the medal and on May 24th a letter
from them was read to the Society stating "that the specimen in block
tin sent over to them had been received, and had elicited the com-
mendation of all who had seen it, as fully bearing out the promises of
the Society as to the accuracy of the likeness and artistic excellence of
the workmanship," and a circular issued by their firm as well as a copy
of the Anglo-American Times with an editorial notice of the medal were
included in their letter.66 The distribution of the sixteen medals
which had been struck prior to the shattering of the dies took into
account the problem faced by the agents of the Society in securing
subscriptions. One of the medals was sent to the London firm and an-
other to J. Henry Applegate, Jr., of San Francisco, who was also an
agent of the Society.67
Apparently Sigel found that he could not guarantee the number of
medals that could be struck from the fractured dies even in soft metal,
because at the meeting of May 24th it was announced that he was pro-
ceeding with the manufacture of new dies. This entailed an increased
expenditure and a consequent re-examination of the financial aspects
of the production of a Lincoln commemorative. The Finance Com-
mittee of the Society was charged with the responsibility of raising the
sums necessary for completion of the enterprise. At the special meeting
50 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
of the Society on June 2Oth, after the Finance Committee report of a
week earlier had been handed back and the Committee had been told
to meet again and to prepare another report, the Committee recom-
mended "That all members of the Society, who have not subscribed
for two medals, or the sum of ten dollars, be requested to do so. That
a loan of ten dollars be requested from each member. That, should
the amount to be obtained fall short, a committee be appointed to
solicit such sums as will make up the deficiency." It was also decided
at the same time, upon a motion made by John Hanna, "That the
President of the Society and the committee on the Lincoln medal be
appointed a joint committee, to confer with Mr. Emil Sigel, and to
take into consideration the question of the medal; and that said com-
mittee be empowered to make such arrangements, on behalf of the
Society, as they shall deem judicious, and that such arrangements be
considered final." By October the committee on the Lincoln Medal
was able to report that Mr. Sigel, the artist, had been conferred with
and that it was arranged to have a number of medals struck in block
tin."68
A new factor came into the question when in the same month an-
nouncement was made of a new invention capable of making very fine
reduced copies of bas-reliefs for medal and coins dies.69 A month
earlier B. F. Stevens of the firm of Stevens Brothers had written to the
Society and sent two medals which were to be presented to it on behalf
of J. S. and A. B. Wyon. With his letter Stevens apparently enclosed a
circular put out by the Wyons and suggested that it was of interest and
"perhaps utility" and would be more likely to be appreciated in
America. He also suggested that "If the Society desires an example of
the work for comparison, and will send me a medal to be used as a
pattern, I shall have much pleasure in asking Messrs. Wyon to comply
with the request."70 This letter was read to the Society on November 8th,
and Wood was instructed to notify the London firm that they might
prepare only six copies of the Lincoln medal by the new technique.71
The agents in London, however, had presumed to act on their own
authority. On October 26th J. S. and A. B. Wyon had written to
Wood, "Mr. B. F. Stevens having kindly allowed us to make reductions
from your Society's Lincoln medal, by means of our valuable machine,
1864-1873 51
for the sake of illustrating its capabilities, we have the pleasure of
requesting you to present to the Society, on our behalf a set of the
medals struck from these dies so engraved. We do not intend to do
anything further with these reductions than (with Mr. Steven's consent)
to show them as specimens of the work of our machine. We will on no
account part with any, except in such manner and under such restric-
tions as your Society may wish; and, should your Society wish to
purchase the dies, or to be supplied with medals struck from them, we
shall have much pleasure in receiving instructions on the subject."72
This letter, as can well be imagined, did not create as favorable an
impression of the London correspondents as was desired. It had not
been expected that they would take matters into their own hands. The
result was that when the correspondence with Stevens Brothers and
with J. S. and A. B. Wyon was read to the membership at the regular
meeting on December I3th, there were instant demands that the
Corresponding Secretary be directed to correspond with Stevens
Brothers with regard to their granting permission to reproduce the
Lincoln medal. At the same time it was decided that the Committee
on the Lincoln Medal should open a correspondence with Sigel to
"obtain from him a statement of account and full particulars of all
matters referring to the medal."73
Apparently the answers given by Sigel and Stevens Brothers proved
to be satisfactory because at the meeting of February 1867 the report
of the correspondence between Sigel and the Lincoln Committee was
tabled until a later date, and John F. McCoy was empowered to pur-
chase twenty-five sets of the medal from Wyon for the use of members
of the Society.74 At the same meeting it was found desirable to add
Professor Anthon and Daniel Parish, Jr., to the committee on the
Lincoln medal. The addition of these two men to the committee must
have considerably strengthened it.
Of Professor Charles E. Anthon's connection with the Society we
have already spoken, and his prominence indicated how much im-
portance was placed on the activities of this committee. Daniel Parish,
Jr., was also one of the most important members of the Society. Parish
was an independently wealthy man who joined the Society in 1865,
and in the same year was elected Corresponding Secretary. He was
52 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
appointed to the Financial Committee in 1866 and continued through
many offices until 1883 when he was elected President. He continued
in that post until 1895 when he retired, but served in a number of
other offices. In 1908 he was elected Honorary President of the Society.
His interests and activities were wide, and he was a contributor to the
American Journal of Numismatics. In 1882 he became connected with the
New-York Historical Society, and his benefactions to its Library are
gathered in the Parish Collection.75 His donations to the American
Numismatic and Archaeological Society were commemorated by a
medal designed by Madam Lea Ahlborn and struck by the Society in
189o.76 Upon his retirement from the office of President of the Society,
he was signally honored by a series of resolutions in which the officers
and members of the Society expressed their warm feelings of gratitude
for his thirty years of active service to the group and his many bene-
factions.
The Lincoln Medal Committee, augmented by the membership of
these two well known members, was now faced with the task of solving
the financial problem connected with the issuance of the medal and
the preparation of the new dies. On March 14, 1867, they proposed
that the Society should issue fifty medals in tin, which would be sold
to the members at three dollars each. The membership, however, after
a prolonged discussion, decided rather that a subscription of three
hundred dollars gathered from among themselves should be taken, and
that the money should be given to Sigel to make it possible for him to
proceed according to the earlier arrangement with the preparation of
new dies. A committee of three men, Elisha Y. Ten Eyck, Charles
E. Anthon, and Daniel Parish, Jr., was appointed to carry out this
decision.77
By March it was clear that the original Lincoln Medal Committee
had done all that could be expected of it, and it was decided to relieve
that group of all responsibility but to continue the special committee
consisting of Ten Eyck, Anthon, and Parish. This was done barely
two weeks after the special committee had been established, and the
new group took over all functions of the earlier one.78 In June, July,
and August of 1867, an advertisement of the Lincoln Medal Committee
signed by the three members appeared on the inner cover of the
1864-1873 53
American Journal of Numismatics. It explained the difficult situation caused
by the shattering of the first set of dies and indicated that new dies were
almost complete. The new medals differed in some details from the
older ones, and as a result the offer was made that those who had sub-
scribed for the original medal might have either a single impression
in tin from the original dies with a case, or two such impressions
without the case, or, if they chose, they might receive a single bronze
impression from the new dies. Thus a solution had been worked out for
the difficult situation caused by the unforeseen breaking of the first set
of dies.
On July 16th the Committee was called upon to report on the con-
tracts that they had entered into and upon the funds at hand. We may
presume that the report was satisfactory. Four months later they were
able to state that the dies had been completed, and that the medals
were about to be issued. In December another statement was made on
the status of the project, and it apparently stimulated some debate
among the members because of the financial difficulties encountered.
It was decided to grant the committee the power to endorse a note in
behalf of the Society for the striking of the piece.79
Everything was now prepared for the striking of the medal, but
Willliam E. Dubois, Superintendent of the U. S. Mint at Philadelphia,
had some reservations about the medal itself. Arrangements had to be
made with him for this final step, and on January 14, 1868, he wrote
to the Society indicating his fears regarding the task.80
On inquiry, I am told that on acct of the excessive relief, & large diameter, and
flat table, each medal will require 25 to 30 blows of the medal press, with an anneal-
ing each time; it will take four men a whole day to strike four medals; and that the
charge, including the copper, would in any ordinary case be not less than five dollars;
but in this case, it will be put at $4.25, as the lowest we dare to take, acting as we do
in a public capacity. I am extremely sorry to have to say so. 'We consider the Dies
a great success,' you say; I must frankly reply, we consider them a great blunder.
What induced the man to make such a huge relief, & throw the features, the out-
lines of the face particularly, almost out of sight? But I am afraid to say another
word, lest you should think me prejudiced, or unkind. As a casting, it might do; as
a medal to be struck, it is in violation of all rule.
I must add, that the Mint will not take any responsibility, as to the dies standing
good, through such extra hard work.
54 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
What a pity you did not wait for our Medal machine! All that the artist now
has to do, is to make his model in wax.
(one paragraph omitted)
I forgot to say, that the Mint will not be in undue hurry about payment, where
the parties are so respectable & responsible; & that copies can be kept here on
sale at your price, and for your account.
At the meeting of January 23, 1868, the Committee on the Lincoln
Medal outlined the terms to be arranged with the designer of the
medal. Three possibilities presented themselves: to pay Sigel three
hundred dollars and to take the new dies and all medals on hand from
the old ones; to pay Sigel seven hundred dollars and to take all material
and both sets of dies; and finally to have Sigel pay the Society either
in money or medals, seven hundred and twenty dollars and to yield to
him all stocks and ownership of both sets of dies. The choice was not
a very hard one for the Society. The third arrangement was quickly
decided upon as the best. In February a settlement was reached with
Sigel on those terms with the added provision that Sigel agreed not to
strike or permit any copies to be made of either the dies or the medals
other than those which the Society should provide for until their lien
of $720 should have been cleared.81
There were some few interesting sidelights to the final production
of this medal. It had never been fully ascertained whether or not the
Society actually had the authority to issue medals, and so on January
23rd Wood was requested to discover if such was the case. By that time
the medal was already well on the way to final production and the
original medals had been distributed. Happily there does not appear
to have been any difficulty over the matter, but in publishing their
minutes for the meeting of January 23rd the members of the Society
very wisely omitted any mention of the business transacted at that
meeting.
The distribution of the medal and the final settlement of all affairs
concerning it was spread over several years. On March 26, 1874, the
committee was requested to issue a final report. On December 1st of
the same year that report was made by the Executive Committee:
In regard to the Lincoln medal business, they would report, that they have four
impressions in tin from the first set dies, and nine medal cases. The receipts for medals
1864-1873 55
sold are $102.50 less $40, paid Mr. Chas. McFarlan, being money advanced by him
for a silver medal which was never struck. The dies and appurtenances belonging
thereto are in the hands of Mr. Sigel, who, according to the last agreement made
with him, was to become sole owner of the dies upon delivery of $720, less cost of
tin medals already delivered. As yet he has failed to perform his contract. This
committee have (sic!) placed one of the Tin Lincoln Medals in the Society's
Cabinet, and have (sic!) forwarded one (with case) to our corresponding member,
Mr. Vail, now in London, for the purpose of obtaining further subscriptions.
Medals had in the meanwhile been distributed to a number of
people, and one impression was given to the cabinet of the U. S. Mint.
As far as the Society was concerned, it therefore seemed best to end
the entire affair which by this time had dragged on for almost ten
years. On January 29, 1875, the Executive Committee of the Society
was authorized to dispose of all rights, interest and title in the Lincoln
medal and the dies so as to close the matter. Apparently the committee
succeeded in the task, though the exact details of the arrangements
that were made are somewhat open to question. Both sets of the dies,
however, are now in the possession of the Society, so it seems probable
that Sigel never did fulfil his contract but rather surrendered the
dies. What other terms were involved in the final settlement must
remain an enigma in the face of the absence of records, but after the
first month of 1875 there was no longer any discussion regarding the
Lincoln medal.
One other accomplishment of note aside from the Lincoln medal is
worthy of discussion during this period in the history of the Society.
Even prior to the election of Professor Anthon as a resident member in
the closing days of 1866 there was within the Society a movement for
the establishment of a numismatic journal in this country.82 In Europe
such journals already existed in some numbers. The Numismatic Journal,
which was later to become the Numismatic Chronicle, appeared for the
years 1835-7, tne Revue numismatique frangaise first appeared in 1836,
the Revue beige de numismatique in 1845, and the Annuaire de la Societe
frangaise de numismatique et d'archeologie in 1866. The German, Swiss,
and Italian publications, however, are considerably later in date. Un-
doubtedly the existence of these western European journals served as a
stimulus to the American Numismatic Society to issue an American
56 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
journal of comparable quality. The idea for such a journal was
initially proposed by Levick on March 8, 1866, about the time that
the Annuaire de la Societe franfaise de numismatique et d''archeologie was first
being issued. There does not appear to be any direct connection
between these two contemporary events, but the general knowledge of
the existence of such journals in Europe must have been a primary
cause for the suggestion. Levick's proposal involved the establishment
of a monthly journal of "numismatic and archaeological intelligence,"
and after a general expression of approval from the membership his
motion was adopted with the amendment that a committee of five
should study the problem of such a journal. The five appointed were
Levick, Wood, Perine, Norton, and the Reverend Seymour.
Levick, as the man who originated the idea of the American Journal
of Numismatics, must remain a somewhat unknown figure. Very little
information other than what he has left to us about his past as a coin
collector or his connection with the Society is available. It would seem
as though Levick was originally from Philadelphia, and that he was
a member of the original Philadelphia Numismatic Society. In his
Reminiscences of Coin-Collecting Levick speaks with fond remembrance
of Cogan's store in that city and mentions the advantages which
accrued to those who were members of the Philadelphia Society.83 It
also seems clear that he was not a resident of New York until after 1859
because he speaks of a visit to the city in that year at which he "rather
astonished many of the New Yorkers, by the spirited manner in which
(he) bid for pieces."84 By 1864, however, Levick had taken up residence
in New York, acting as a banker and broker dealing in government
securities, specie, stocks and bonds, and gold, with offices at 44 Wall
Street, and he proceeded to follow his numismatic pursuits as one of
the founders of the New York Numismatic Society and as member of
its Committee on Constitution and By-Laws. His activities in support
of that new organization were recognized in February of the same
year when at the suggestion of another member it was voted that his
name should be the first on the list of original members. The New York
Numismatic Society, as we have already seen, was doomed, and ceased
to be a functioning body after only a very few meetings. On December
14, 1865, Levick became a resident member of the American Numis-
1864-1873 57
matic and Archaeological Society. He rapidly became a leading
member and served in many offices.
Levick's suggestion was adopted, and at the annual meeting on
March 22, 1866, the committee advised the establishment of the
journal but pointed out the difficulties involved. A committee con-
sisting of Levick, Perine, and Hanna was set up with power to appoint
an editor and to carry out the mandate of the Society. It was recognized
at the time that there might be certain financial problems which would
arise, and as a result a resolution was adopted stating that the Society
would guarantee the publication for one year, "and that, if necessary,
all expenses shall be made good by assessments on the members."
News of the project spread rapidly. The publishers of the Bankers"
Magazine and Record of Civilization suggested that the two publications
be combined, but this was rejected. In May, the first issue was ready,
and the proof sheets were exhibited at the meeting on the 10th of that
month. On the 24th, the Publication Committee states that the first
number had been issued.
The first issue of the American Journal of Numismatics is in many ways
typical of the Journal throughout most of its career. It contained
published notices and minutes of the meeting of the Society and a
number of short, rather popularized articles. The scientific aspects of
numismatics were still not the primary interest of the Society, which
was for the most part composed of collectors and not scholars. The
Journal, however, served clearly as the organ of the Society, and many
of the papers delivered before the Society were later published in it.
Early reports indicated that the entire project might be considered
successful, but there were continued attempts to build up the circula-
tion to the point where the Journal would be self-sustaining. As early
as the third issue in July of 1866 the transactions of the Boston Numis-
matic Society were included in the section headed Transactions of
Societies. In the fourth issue the minutes of the New England Numis-
matic and Archaeological Society appeared as well. The list of organi-
zations, including some in Canada, using the Journal as a means of
communication, continued to grow. There was in addition a section
devoted to notes and queries which must have appealed to most
collectors as a common source of information answering their questions
58 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
on all fields of numismatics. Certainly this was not one of the scholarly
publications of the world, but it was a pleasant little monthly devoted
to short articles or notes on matters of interest to collectors.
As the year 1867 began it was clear that the Journal was not self-
sustaining, much less a financial success. The issue of March 1867,
which marked the end of the first year of publication, was noteworthy
for the inclusion of an editorial entitled "Numismatic Journalism as
a Fine Art." The article pointed out that the Journal would have to be
considered a financial failure. It was true that it had provided a
valuable service in its columns and that all the numismatic societies of
the country, save two, had used its pages as a means of communication,
but there had been no overwhelming rush on the part of numismatists
to become subscribers. The end of the first year found the Society in
debt for one half the expenses, and it must not be forgotten that the
organization had agreed to meet all such expenses. At least one hundred
new subscribers were necessary before the Journal could become com-
pletely self-sufficient. A plea was made that if each subscriber were to
secure one more, then the number would be more than adequate.85
This situation of financial instability had to be faced, but the
members of the Society were reluctant to drop such an admirable
project. On April 1 1th the President of the Society, Frank H. Norton,
stood alone among the group and advocated a quarterly issue and a
quarto form. It was his first step in opposition to the Journal and did
not bode well for the future of that publication. Two resolutions,
however, were passed which gravely affected further developments.
Firstly, it was decided that the Journal would be continued during the
ensuing year in its present form and at the same dates of publication.
And it was decided that the Editorial Committee would be chosen by
ballot.86 The Editorial Committee thus chosen consisted of Professor
Anthon, Elisha Y. Ten Eyck and Dr. George H. Perine. "Norton, who
was originally chosen third on the Committee, having, for private
reasons, declined to serve for a second year-," the Committee on the
following evening decided to distribute its tasks with Dr. Perine as
Chief Editor, Professor Anthon as Literary Editor, and Ten Eyck as
Business Editor.87 Anthon was, of course, the most prominent member
of the Committee and the only one with any pretensions to being a
1864-1873 59
scholar. Power was, however, vested in this Committee to enlarge the
Journal to 16 pages 8vo., if they deemed that advisable, and in fact the
next issue was somewhat larger. This ran directly contrary to the view,
forcefully expressed by President Norton, that the Journal had to be
cut.88
It was, however, towards the end of the month, on April 25th, that
this matter of Norton's opposition to the general program of the Publi-
cation or Editorial Committee reached a climax.89 The Committee
had on that evening presented a report of its progress and indicated
that the May number of the Journal was well along in preparation.
This report was accepted, and Levick rose and moved that the com-
mittee be discharged "in order that it might be reappointed as a
standing committee." His intention was quite clearly understood to be
the reappointment of the same members to the committee. The Com-
mittee expressed itself as quite in accord with the idea of converting itself
into a standing committee with permanent status. Levick was crystal
clear as to what was to follow the adoption of his resolution, and there
was no reason for confusion. At that point the rules were suspended to
permit the admission of a new member. That interruption may well
have had fatal consequences for any hope of accomplishing the change
without incident. After the rules were restored, President Norton pro-
ceeded to appoint the standing committees for the ensuing year, naming
as the Committee of Publication, Hanna, Perine, and Oliver. Professor
Anthon, the most respected scholar among the members, and Elisha
Ten Eyck, both of whom were destined to hold high office in the
Society, had been publicy insulted by their exclusion from this com-
mittee when it was clearly Levick's intention that all should be re-
appointed. Both men were not of the type that receives such insults
lightly, and after making appropriate remarks regarding this unjustified
exercise of presidential power, they resigned all the offices held by
them in the Society. The other members present at the meeting re-
cognized the usurpation of authority, and a motion that Norton be
invited to resign the Presidency was passed without anyone speaking
against such harsh action. He had taken a calculated risk in his opposi-
tion to the Journal and the Editorial Committee, and he had failed.
Norton stepped down to be replaced as Chairman pro tem by one of
60 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
the very men whom he had so unwisely insulted, Elisha Y. Ten Eyck.
In the election for President which followed, the other member of the
committee who had been insulted, Professor Anthon, was duly elected
to serve out the unfinished term of Norton's presidency. Anthon,
however, expressed his reluctance at accepting such an office per-
manently, explaining his conviction that he would be more useful to
the Society in his capacity as Corresponding Secretary and Editor.90
Since Anthon declined the office a motion that Ten Eyck be declared
President pro tern, was accepted, and the election of a President was
made the Special Business of the next meeting. Levick now moved to
reconsider his motion to discharge the Editorial Committee and to
appoint a standing committee, with the result that the Editorial
Committee was reinstated, and the situation was restored to the status
quo ante save for the fact that Norton was no longer President.
The minutes of this stormy meeting of April 25th were directed to
be handed to the Editorial Committee for preparation and publication
in the May issue of the American Journal of Numismatics. The members
of that committee who were then in the ascendency showed a great
deal of restraint in their treatment of these minutes. A comparison of
the written record with the published one shows very little discrepancy,
but they did feel constrained to add a note. "It may be not improper
to insert here the first paragraph in the First By-Law of the Society:
'The President shall preside at all meetings of the Society, shall decide
all points of order, subject to appeal, and shall have a casting vote. He
shall appoint all Committees authorized by the Society, unless otherwise
specially ordered.' "91 Italicising the last four words clarified the position
of the Editorial Committee, but it must be remembered that even
though it was apparent that everybody understood the sense of Levick's
proposal to mean that the same men would be appointed, that does
not seem to have been specifically stated in the resolution. This, however,
caused no difficulty for the membership at large because at the next
regular meeting of the Society, on May 9th, particular note was made
of the fact that the minutes were "approved and adopted, both as
recorded and as printed in the Journal."'
At that same meeting, of course, the problem of replacing President
Norton had to be settled. All formalities were strictly adhered to, since
1864-1873 6I
it was a very sensitive matter. Two tellers were appointed, and on
motion the ballots were deposited on the call of name by the Secretary.
Elisha Y. Ten Eyck received a majority of the votes cast and was
declared to have been elected, but this created a vacancy in the position
of Treasurer which Ten Eyck had held prior to the election. A ballot
for that office resulted in the election of Levick as Treasurer.92
For the rest of the year 1867 the Journal continued to be published
by the Editorial Committee with an improved typographical appear-
ance, and it continued to meet with "warm approbation" on the part
of numismatists, but the problem of sustaining such a publication grew
increasingly burdensome.93 The efforts of the Editorial Committee to
increase the number of subscribers were rewarded in fine fashion. The
circulation of the Journal had been less than one hundred when the
Editorial Committee assumed charge of the publication, and the
Society had made good a deficit of over two hundred dollars on the
first year's costs. By April 1868 the number of subscribers stood at two
hundred, "and the subscription-money, if all paid up, would entirely
defray the expenses" of that year's publication. Therein, however, lay
the rub. A certain dilatoriness on the part of subscribers to fulfil their
pledged obligations was very evident. As a result the last issue of the
second volume contained a plea to the subscribers and numismatists
"to transmit at once the amount of their indebtedness" so that the
Editorial Committee might eliminate the debts incurred and begin
the new year a fresh slate.94 Once again the promise was made that
any excess of funds would be applied to the task of illustrating the
Journal, and the hope was expressed that its success and permanency
would shortly be assured.
The annual election of 1868 was quite significant for the future
history of the Society and the Journal. Elisha Y. Ten Eyck declined to
be a candidate for re-election with the result that changes were
necessary in the entire slate of officers. Professor Anthon, who was then
serving as Corresponding Secretary, was now elected President, and
his former office was given to Robert Hewitt, Jr.95 Levick retained his
post as treasurer. It will be remembered that the two most active
figures in the production of the Journal were Anthon and Levick. At
the suggestion of Edward Groh, it was decided to publish the Journal
62 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
for another year, and it was also determined that the Editorial Com-
mittee should consist of the President and Treasurer.96 Effective control
was now vested in the hands of Anthon and Levick, and it is clear that
the actual editorial work was performed by Professor Anthon, while
Levick, who was a member of the Finance Committee of the Society,
handled the business affairs. This was obviously a sound arrangement,
because it utilized the talents of each man in the field in which he was
a specialist.
Levick, as a businessman, was cognizant of the difficulties in the
publication of the Journal. After he had delivered a realistic report on
the publication in October of 1868, Hanna moved that the President
write to the leading numismatic societies looking towards an annual
rotation of the task of editing and publishing the Journal. His motion
was adopted.97 Of course such action involved negotiations with
various other societies, and it was not until the annual meeting of 1870
that Anthon was able to report that William Sumner Appleton of the
Boston Numismatic Society, with a committee of that Society, had
agreed to undertake the editorship of the Journal for the next year with
the proviso that the American Numismatic and Archaeological
Society guarantee a subscription for the Journal of one hundred dollars
and distribute it among the friends of the Society for that amount.98
In the month prior to the inauguration of the fourth year of pub-
lication, Levick again suggested that a change be made in the Journal.
At his suggestion the name was altered so as to reflect its wider scope
as the organ of the many numismatic societies. Originally it had been
the American Journal of Numismatics and Bulletin of the American Numis-
matic & Archaeological Society. After the issue of April 1868 the title read
American Journal of Numismatics and Bulletin of American Numismatic
and Archaeological Societies."
The last issue of the fourth volume of the American Journal of Numis-
matics, which was published in April 1870, contained a valedictory
statement from the Editorial Committee explaining that the publi-
cation was now passing from their control. The first issue of volume
five contained a notice from the committee of the Boston Numismatic
Society indicating that they were now accepting the responsibility.
Appleton, Green, and Colburn, of the new Editorial Committee of the
1864-1873 63
Boston Numismatic Society, who signed the notice, decided to reduce
the subscription price from three dollars to two dollars, and to issue it
as a quarterly rather than as a monthly.
The American Journal of Numismatics, however, did not rotate on an
annual basis from society to society, but continued as a publication of
the Boston group until 1908, when it was again returned to the
American Numismatic Society. The members of the Boston Numis-
matic Society who served as the Editorial Committee during the inter-
vening years, were prominent in their organization, for both Jeremiah
Golburn and Samuel Abbott Green served as Presidents of that body
and William Sumner Appleton was Secretary. The American Numis-
matic and Archaeological Society, on the other hand, appears to have
continued its interest in the publication, and this interest was expressed
in concrete form in 1891 when Lyman H. Low, then Librarian of the
Society, was appointed as an Associate Editor representing the New
York organization.100 It is, however, best to postpone consideration of
the later history of the Journal to the appropriate place in the history
of the Society.101
The general growth and development of the Society are mirrored
clearly in its two great accomplishments during the years 1864-73,
the Lincoln medal and the American Journal of Numismatics, but
these were by no means the only activities in which the Society in-
dulged, nor was the fortune of the organization during these years a
tale of uninterrupted and general success. In February of 1864 the
Society, which had just been reorganized, received an invitation to par-
ticipate in the Metropolitan Fair for the U. S. Sanitary Commission.102
The Society accepted this invitation and decided to make a display of
some of its possessions, but this apparently presented something of a
problem to the Commission, for the objects were very small and the
responsibility for their protection weighed heavily upon the organizers
of the Fair.103 Dr. Perine, who was taking such an active part in the
affairs of the Society at that time, offered to contribute a case and its
contents for such a display. A committee, as usual, was appointed to
handle the affair, and apparently it was carried off quite properly.
As a result of the Society's participation in the Sanitary Fair a
correspondence was begun between F. A. Wood and the American
64 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
Consul-General in Frankfort am Main. Consul-General Murphy had
presented a very small gold coin to the Sanitary Fair, and this piece,
which was worth about fifteen cents with the premium, excited some
interest.104 Wood promptly wrote to Consul-General Murphy on
May 18th requesting further information regarding its origin. The
coin was to be disposed of by auction to aid the Fair.105 Murphy obliged
by sending a letter detailing the history of the coin, which was a 1/16th
of a ducat of the Free City of Nuremberg issued during the Schmal-
kaldic War. He requested that the substance of his letter be published
to answer the many inquiries that he had received.106 When meetings
were resumed in the fall of 1864, his request was placed before the
Society, but since the coin had already been presented to another
body, no action was thought to be necessary. It is apparent from a
letter that Wood later addressed to the Consul-General, in November
of that year, that he had purchased the piece at the Sanitary Fair.
Wood offered on his own behalf to copy the substance of Murphy's
earlier letter for the local papers, and at the same time accepted on
behalf of the Society an offer by Murphy to send still other coins.107
Even at this early stage of its existence the American Numismatic
Society was the national representative of numismatic pursuits. It was
because of its position of preeminence among numismatic societies in
this country that Samuel B. Ruggles, the United States Commissioner
to the Paris Exposition of 1867, wrote to Frank H. Norton and re-
quested his aid and that of the American Numismatic Society in the
preparation of a display of American coinage.108 The U. S. Mint had
offered to provide specimens of the national coinage then in use, but
examples of the earlier coinages issued within the territories of the
United States were also desired. This display was designed "to show by
the visible example of our broad, continental Republic, unifying its
coins from Ocean to Ocean, the world-wide value of a common
system of coins, which shall include all the civilised nations on the
globe."109 President Norton, of course, promptly communicated to
Ruggles the assurance of his aid and vigorously supported a plan for
an international and unified coinage.110 When this correspondence
was read to a meeting of the Society on January 10th, it was decided
that full co-operation and assistance would be extended and a special
Medal struck in Honor of Abraham Lincoln
J. Henry Applcgate.
San Francisco Agent for
the Sale of the Lincoln Medal
William R. Dubois,
Superintendant,
U.S. Mint in Philadelphia
William Sumncr Appleton Jeremiah Colburn
Boston Numismatic Society
William Poillon
Cyrus Jay Lawrence
1864-1873 65
meeting was devoted to planning the course of that aid. Norton who
was in effective control of the Journal at that time had already taken
some steps to support the exhibition. The leading editorial in the first
issue of the Journal for 1867, entitled "An International Coinage,"
argued forcefully in support of the plan put forward by Ruggles.
At about the same time another series of editorials in the Journal on
"The Depravity of American Coinage" was causing a great deal of
comment, even in such a far off place as Chicago. The first of this series
appeared in October of 1866 and later installments were included in
the issues of December 1866 and February 1867. In substance these
articles protested vigorously against what was termed "debased"
American coinage which even lacked artistic merit. Editorial comment
in various newspapers about the country was aroused. The Chicago
Tribune, ardent champion of nationalism, while conceding the lack of
artistry in American coinage dissented sharply on the question of the
value of the coins. In the Tribune the belief was expounded that the
coins fairly represented "the values stated upon them." The dispute
continued through January when Congressman Morrill spoke in the
House of Representatives on the question of "debased" American
coinage and supported the position taken by Norton in the Journal.111
It did not result in a new law.
Though this dispute was heated and engendered a great deal of
comment, about the period of the Paris Exposition of 1867, it does not
seem to have had any lasting effect other than to stimulate greater
activity in making a fine display for the country at Paris. The Paris
Exposition, however, was not the only foreign contact maintained by
the Society. The President of the Manchester Numismatic Society in
England opened a correspondence with our Society and made a
donation to our library.112 Foreign contacts were increasing, and the
participation of the Society in various fairs and exhibitions made for
greater and more widespread knowledge of the group.
Wider publicity regarding the activities of the Society resulted in
an ever-increasing series of donations to the library and numismatic
collection. At the Annual Meeting in 1867, the Librarian reported the
holdings of the Society as ninety-two volumes, thirty-four newspapers,
ninety-six catalogues, thirty-seven almanacs, and 286 pamphlets.113
66 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
Three years later at the Annual Meeting in 1870, Wood reported as
Librarian that 959 books were held. This was, of course, a rough
calculation, but he pointed out that even so, there was only a very
small proportion of that total which was relatively useless. The pro-
jected idea for a Library Fund which had been suggested by Betts in
1869, however, had not come to fruition.114
There is no need to enter into great detail about the growth of the
numismatic collection, but it is interesting to note that a series of
letters from various U. S. Mint officials indicates that the Society was
consulted and gave advice about the distribution of patterns of our
national coinage. These letters are still preserved in the archives of
the Society. In addition, successful efforts were made to secure copies
of the seals of the various States as well as numerous medals issued by
other bodies, and cancelled dies. By 1870 the cabinet contained 2,294
pieces, of which 1,509 were American.116
The new Constitution of 1864 had established a Committee on
American Archaeology and one on Foreign Archaeology which were
quite active during this period. Occasional donations of Indian relics
and the like were received by the Society, and these objects were care-
fully examined and classified by the members of these committees.
Nevertheless, it should be remembered that these activities in the field
of archaeology never played a dominant role in the program of the
group, and the numismatic collection was of much greater significance.
The assorted curiosities, spear heads, and arrow heads appear to have
had only a passing interest for the majority of the members.
In 1870 the roseate picture of the future of the Society assumed
more sombre colors. The minutes for the period from 1870 to 1873
are missing, as has already been pointed out, and during that period
the Society had no permanent home. The preserved correspondence
for the same three years is very small and does not permit a full recon-
struction of the events that transpired. Certainly the Society did not
cease as an organization because there were some routine affairs which
were treated in the letters. Donations to the Library and numismatic
collection were made and accepted. The Journal, as we have seen,
continued to be issued with admirable adherence to a fixed monthly
schedule, and to all external appearances the affairs of the Society
1864-1873 67
were quite normal. Even in the minute book a satisfactory explanation
was given for the lacuna by the note indicating that the Recording
Secretary neglected "to preserve in any form his memoranda of
transactions." A clear examination of the extant data, however,
reveals that this three year period, from 1870-1873, was actually one
of decline from the flourishing years which just preceded it. In a letter
written in 1872, Professor Anthon, then editor of the Journal, notes
that he had received a photographic plate for presentation "to the
Society at its next meeting." He then adds, "Now when this next
meeting is going to take place 'you nor I nor nobody (sic!) knows!"
Since the problem of what to do with the plate remained, Anthon
decided to give it into the safekeeping of Isaac F. Wood.116
The Annual Meeting of March 27, 1870, resulted in the election of
Benjamin Betts as President of the Society, and during this entire three
year period he appears to have remained in office. Why Anthon did
not retain the Presidency in that year is not known, nor is there any
record of an election until March 27, 1873, when he resumed that
office and Betts became First Vice-President.117
Virtually nothing is known of the life of Benjamin Betts apart from
his connection with the Society. His primary interest in numismatics,
if one may judge from the articles which he published in the American
Journal of Numismatics, was in the field of medals.118 Betts joined the
Society in 1868, and the next year was elected to the office of First
Vice-President. After serving as President from 1870 to 1873 and once
again as First Vice-President in 1873, he was elected Treasurer in
1874. This post he held without interruption through 1888. On
January 20, 1908 he was elected Honorary President, but on October
2nd of the same year he died in his home in Brooklyn at more than
eighty-six years of age.119
Betts' administration as President, as has been pointed out, came
during a period when the activities of the Society reached the nadir.
Wood, in a moment of reflection in 1892, penned the only description
which we possess of what actually happened to the Society during
those three years.
Its autonomy was still kept up by a cherishing and almost hopeless few, the late
Mr. Oliver, Mr. Edward Groh, and others including my humble self, altho' we held
6*
68 REBIRTH AND GROWTH
no regular meetings. Mr. Groh boxed up the numismatics, Mr. Oliver encouraged
us to hold on, 'there must be a good time coming.' I becased the books in my house
in 17th St., and the Hon. Dr. Perine, the then Prex, "hung up the old swords, South
Sea Island clubs, Sleepy Hollow brick bats, 15th century wood carvings, and
other 'archawologies'(?) in his office and, so far as I know, they have been hanging
there ever since, tho' just where his office 'hangs out' at this moment is a reservation
question.
"Finally the late Prof. Anthon was 'roped in' to give the stamp of his erudite
mind to the Society; the Journal, already started, but having a weak foothold,
commenced to reflect something besides 'the minutes of the last meeting were read
and approved,' 'the Committee on old junk reported progress' etc., etc. and with a
long, strong, and altogether, pull, the craft was forged ahead into success which I
hope will be enduring, and as she swam with the new tide the hitherto askancers
jumped in and swam with her into the harbor that Anthon and Poillon & Parish,
etc. had been aiming for, for some time past.1*0
Apart from the fact that there is a good deal of misinformation in
this letter from Wood, there is clear evidence that the numismatic col-
lection was held by Groh, the library by Wood himself, and the
archaeological collection by Dr. Perine, in the years 1870-1873. A
very few meetings were held, and the activities of the Society were
almost at a standstill. In 1873 the process of decline was reversed and
a new infusion of vigor was evident. At the Annual Meeting of March
27th new officers were elected, and these men were to hold office until
a new Constitution and By-Laws were agreed upon. Thus the process
of alternating growth and decline which was so evident during the
early period of the history of the Society can be traced down to this
late date. The renewal of vigor, however, is best treated in a new
context.
R
PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
1873-1883
enewed vigor had been instilled into the Society in 1864, but the
period of growth which followed was abruptly interrupted in 1870
when all activity seems to have come to an end. Wood's letter, quoted
at the conclusion of the preceding chapter, provides an adequate
description of the complete torpor which apparently seized the group.
For three years virtually no meetings were held, and the future held
only the bleakest prospect. Some few of the members, notably Isaac
F. Wood, Professor Charles E. Anthon and William Poillon, held fast
in their determination to continue, but it was an upward struggle.
Finally in May 1874, a notice appeared in the local press that the
Numismatic Society had begun to hold regular meetings.1 Expressions
of satisfaction at this turn of events were immediate as old contacts
were renewed, and applications for membership began to appear.2
Reviving the Society however, was not a simple matter. The numis-
matic collection had to be restored by Groh, who had maintained it
during the intervening years; the library had to be re-established by
Wood, who had kept the books at his home when the Society was
inactive; and the various articles of archaeological and anthropological
interest had to be recovered from Dr. Perine, who had retained them
in his office. Groh and Wood apparently responded immediately and
69
70 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
willingly, but in the case of Dr. Perine negotiations were prolonged.
As early as March 1873, at the annual meeting which was held at the
City College, Levick had reported that the archaeological portion of
the Society's collection was held by Dr. Perine. By that date Perine had
ceased taking an active part in the affairs of the group, so a committee
was appointed to visit him. At the next meeting of the Society Wood
reported that Dr. Perine had promised to return the articles in his
possession to the Secretary at an early date. During the revival of
activity which followed the annual meeting of 1874, both Wood and
Groh returned the library and numismatic collections to the custody
of the Society, but Dr. Perine took no steps at all other than to renew
his promise. In reply to a letter from the Secretary sent to all who had
been members of the Society in 1870, Perine notified Poillon that his
membership "had ceased a long time ago."3
At a meeting on January 29, 1875, it was reported that Professor
Anthon had received a package from Dr. Perine containing "a crooked
stick, a small birch canoe, a piece of shell dug from City Hall Park,
a tile (one of two) from the house of Benedict Arnold, an old brick
from Sleepy Hollow Church, which had been brought from Holland,
a scrap book containing a few caricatures, and also a few minerals."
The committee felt satisfied from personal examination that this
assortment did not comprise the total archaeological collection, but
since they were unable to ascertain what was originally placed in
Dr. Perine's possession they were forced to accept it as such. It will be
recalled, however, that the description of these archaeological finds
does not seem too far from that given in 1892 by Wood, who spoke of
"old swords, South Sea Island brick bats, I5th century wood carvings
and other 'archawologies'."
This collection of "antiquities" remained in Professor Anthon's
recitation room at the City College for some time where they formed
"rather an unsightly mess." Anthon was a tolerant man and in his
letter to Wood informing him of the existence of these articles, he
indicated that they could remain a little longer, "though not perma-
nently."4 The future history of this particular assortment of objects
from the Society's collection will forever remain a mystery, but efforts
to recover more from Dr. Perine were in vain. In January 1876,
1873-1883 71
Oliver revealed that he had called on Dr. Perine but could obtain
nothing further. Happily, the archaeological collection of the Society
never played a major role in its activities, and the loss seems to have
been quickly forgotten.
Aside from the recovery of the Society's effects, the most pressing
problem facing the group was one of organization. At the Annual
Meeting of 1873, Professor Anthon succeeded Benjamin Betts to
the Presidency, while Betts assumed the First Vice-Presidency.
Daniel Parish, Jr., who had held that post, became Second Vice
President. At the same time Abraham Redlich yielded the post of
Recording Secretary to William Poillon, and from that point on the
records of the Society were astonishingly well kept. The other offices
remained in the hands of their incumbents. These few changes in the
upper echelons of the officers of the group probably served as the
initial impetus to a display of vigor.
As was usual on such occasions, the very first order of business after
the revitalization of the Society was the revision of the Constitution
and By-Laws. The legislative inclinations of these early numismatists
were not to be denied. A committee consisting of five members of the
Society under the chairmanship of Wood was appointed to study the
problem.5 One year later at the Annual Meeting of 1874, the results of
the year's labor were presented, and a new simplified Constitution was
adopted with some few amendments. During the course of the next
twenty years this document was to remain the basic statute of
the organization. It is true that minor adjustments were made
changing the meeting dates and even augmenting the number of
Vice-Presidents. This last change actually came about as a result of the
discovery by Wood, who was in charge of having the Constitution
printed, that it did not conform to the Charter of Incorporation. The
original charter called for a board of eight managers. The new Con-
stitution, however, had combined the two offices of Recording Secretary
and Corresponding Secretary, and eliminated that of Second Vice-
President, while at the same time it stipulated that the officers, of whom
there were thus only six, should "constitute an Executive Committee
for the general management of the interests of the Society."6 Wood
would probably have preferred to alter the Charter, but after some
72 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
discussion it was decided to amend the Constitution. At the Annual
Meeting of 1875, two new Vice-Presidents were added to the list of
officers with the election of General John Watts De Peyster as First,
and Robert L. Stuart as Third Vice-President. Benjamin Betts re-
placed Levick as Treasurer. Thus the constitutional problem was solved.
Levick, however, was never again as active as he had been prior to 1874.
For the most part, these men remained in office through the follow-
ing decade though there was a succession of Vice-Presidents. This
office required less activity than the others, but it seems to have de-
volved upon men who were continually hard pressed for time. General
De Peyster himself declined the office on June 4, 1875, barely four
months after his election, and he was replaced by Frederic J. De
Peyster, his nephew. The De Peysters were a very prominent New
York family, and for two centuries had been active in many organi-
zations and given liberally of their time and fortune.7
The other changes in the Constitution and By-Laws can easily be
traced from the minute book of the Society and from the records of the
Executive Committee, but they did not materially affect the course of
the history of the organization. Changes were made in the life member-
ship fee and in the number of members required to form a quorum, but
even these alterations were few in number.
There remained the old problem of quarters for the organization.
The existence of the Library and collection made it almost a perennial
one. In 1873, the first Annual Meeting held after the three year interval
of inactivity convened at the City College on Lexington Avenue and
Twenty-third Street. This was an excellent temporary site for such a
meeting, and it may be presumed that it was made available to the
Society by President Webb of the City College as a result of Professor
Anthon's efforts. Such arrangements, however, were insufficient to fill
the long range needs for quarters in which to house the collections as
well as for a place in which to meet. The Annual Meeting of 1874 was
also held in a temporary location, Mott Memorial Hall, the home of
the Mott Memorial Free Medical Library, at 64 Madison Avenue. The
quarters were pleasing for the Executive Committee directed Wood to
secure future accommodations. In October, Wood reported that he
had engaged a room at Mott Memorial Hall for four meetings, and
1873-1883 73
that space for a bookcase had been rented for one year at a total cost
of fifty dollars. The Society approved of this arrangement. Thus it
was that the first meetings of 1875 found the Society with what were,
in effect, permanent quarters even though they were rented ones.
This arrangement proved to be so satisfactory that it was continued
without interruption until March of 1878, when Wood was informed
that there was a distinct probability that the Society would lose its
rooms at Mott Memorial Hall. The very existence of such quarters and
the uninterrupted tenure of the various officers in their posts of respon-
sibility had lent a certain stability to the Society. It is therefore rather
surprising that for nine months no action was taken to forestall the
possibility of the Society becoming homeless. It is true that no formal
notice of the end of the arrangement had been given, but the evidence
already pointed in that direction. Even as late as November 19th,
attempts were made to enlarge the facilities of the Society at its loca-
tion on Madison Avenue. The Genealogical Society, which also used
the facilities of Mott Memorial Hall, had obtained the use of the
Gallery on those premises at no additional expense. Betts and Wood
were promptly appointed as a committee to secure at least a part of
the Gallery as an accommodation for the Society's property, but
whether they succeeded or not is unknown.
By early 1875 the situation could no longer be ignored. Mr. Ponce
de Leon, a new member of the Society, suggested at a special meeting of
the Executive Committee that he had reason to believe that if an ap-
plication were made to Judge Charles P. Daly, President of the Ameri-
can Geographical Society, a room could be secured at the building
purchased in 1876 by that Society at n West 29th Street.8 It was
promptly decided that the task of dealing with Judge Daly should be
confided to Professor Anthon. Three weeks later Anthon had been
unable to see Judge Daly even though he called on him twice. As a
result he wrote to him and extended an invitation to come to the special
meeting of the Executive Committee or to the next regular meeting.
It is more than likely that the Judge failed to respond because at the
Annual Meeting of March 16, 1879, Nestor Ponce de Leon was ap-
pointed a committee of one "to confer with the officers of the Geo-
graphical Society and to ascertain what can be done toward securing
74 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
accommodations in their building." By May 7th. Ponce de Leon was
forced to report to the Executive Committee that though he had
called a "great number of times" he had not been successful in seeing
Judge Daly. The idea of securing quarters from the American Geo-
graphical Society was of necessity abandoned. Wood promptly revived
the idea that it would be possible to obtain the use of the Gallery of
Mott Memorial Hall, and that if the other societies which patronized
the Hall would combine with them it would even be probable that the
room on the second floor of the building, which was then serving as the
gymnasium, would be made available. He apparently found no sup-
port for his proposal, so the problem still remained.
A recent member, Gaston L. Feuardent, a noted dealer in antiqui-
ties, however, had made an offer to permit the Society to use a portion
of his establishment at 30 Lafayette Street. This offer was made before
the Executive Committee meeting of March 9, 1879, because at that
meeting it was stated that he was quite anxious to have a reply. A
committee of three was appointed to confer with Feuardent. It is quite
natural that we should ask at this point why the Society did not snatch
up the generous offer. A number of factors come into consideration in
answering that question. It is evident from the minutes that many
members of the organization, and particularly Wood who was Li-
brarian, felt that it was possible to remain in Mott Memorial Hall and
that a removal to 30 Lafayette Place would not be permanent. In fact
almost a year had passed since the first hint had been given and no steps
had been taken by the Trustees of Mott Memorial Hall to force such
a move.
In the light of this situation, a special meeting of the Society was
called for June 6th, at City College to discuss the various proposals and
to take action. Feuardent's offer of a "second floor back room with
perfect liberty of access to the members at all times and free of expense"
was presented to the group assembled at the City College. Doubts were
expressed concerning the Society's liability for the rent at Mott Me-
morial Hall in the event of a move, and a committee was appointed
to confer with Dr. Mott on that subject. The same committee, pro-
vided they could arrive at a suitable settlement with Dr. Mott, were
directed "to send out notices for a meeting of the Society on June 13th
1873-1883 75
and to state in the notices for the meeting the object of it and request
a reply if the member is unable to be present."
In the interval between the meetings a member of the committee,
the Rev. George C. Athole, visited the room offered by Feuardent. At
30 Lafayette Street Rev. Athole was led up a flight of stairs to the
back room. In his description he says, "It will answer our purpose
well, and at slight expense could be made a comfortable, cheerful room.
It measures about 25 X15 ft., has a high ceiling, is well lighted, has an
open fireplace with grate, and two gas brackets (wall) suitable for
bed-room use. The floor is even, being made of narrow planking. To
paint the same in alternate strips, two coats of paint would cost about
$10.00, to cover it with China matting would cost complete $7.50, and
to cover it with good ingrain carpet would cost about $35.00." It was
also evident that a coat of white wash was required, but that was not
a pressing matter.9
Dr. A. B. Mott had also answered the queries regarding the rent
settlement. He pointed out that the Society had rented the room by
the year and that on more than one occasion the rent had been paid
in semi-annual or even annual installments. Since no notice of the
removal of the Society had been given prior to the expiration of the
last year's lease on June 3, 1879, the Trustees of Mott Memorial Hall
had "naturally concluded" that the organization would remain as a
tenant and had therefore taken no steps towards renting the premises.
In addition, Dr. Mott indicated that the Trustees had planned a series
of repairs for the coming summer, but he was not certain that these
repairs would be sufficient to satisfy the members. He suggested that
if any specific repairs were desired, the Society should tell him about
them and he would place the matter before the Trustees.10
At the Executive Committee meeting on June 13th, held at the
City College, Dr. Mott's position was fully explained by Parish and
Poillon who had spoken to him. If the Society desired to give up the
room it was then occupying, it could do so by paying a half year's rent.
Wood, as has been said, opposed the change because he did not think
that it would be permanent. The Secretary was then directed to have
printed notices sent out calling for a special meeting of the Society, to
be held on June 2oth at the City College at 8 P.M. It was necessary
76 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
that a decision be taken without delay regarding the propriety of
moving to 30 Lafayette Place. Those who were unable to come were
requested to state their opinions in writing.
The special meeting of June 2oth must have been well attended; at
its opening the Secretary mentioned the receipt of seven letters favor-
ing the move, and the membership rolls at the Annual Meeting of
1879 showed a roster of thirty-six life and resident members.11 A move
to 30 Lafayette Place was unanimously approved provided Feuardent
agreed to receive a reasonable compensation for the use of the premises.
Wood had evidently changed his mind and now supported the move.
Betts, Wood, Lawrence, and Dodd were appointed a committee to
take charge. By October the move was completed, but it must be said
that the generosity of Wood and Lawrence aided greatly in covering
the costs. These charges had exceeded the $100 limit that had been
granted to the committee, but the members of that group had contri-
buted the amount of the deficit. November's meetings were held at the
new room and a rule was adopted "That the use of tobacco in any form
be prohibited at all times in this room, and that a notice to that effect
be posted conspicuously." Rent was set at the purely nominal figure
$100 per annum because that was all that Feuardent was willing to
accept. Furnishings were purchased and donated, and the year 1880
passed with the Society safely ensconced in its new quarters.
Wood, however, was to prove prophetic in the long run because in
April of 1881, the Executive Committee took cognizance of the possi-
bility of another move being required. Apparently Feuardent's lease
on the property was about to expire, and a renewal was not expected.
The very next month brought matters to a head and all of the Society's
possessions were packed, but there was no possibility of securing new
accommodations on such short notice. In January, Poillon notified the
Executive Committee that he had seen a room at the New York Uni-
versity building which could be had for $250 per annum, with an
allowance of fifty dollars for repairs. A special meeting of the Executive
Committee was held on February 13th, and it was decided to make
the move after a letter was read from Vice-President Zabriskie offering
to contribute towards the repair of the room. Another letter from Wood
was also read in which he stated that "he had seen the room and thought
1873-1883 77
it a big mistake." In this instance he was in the minority and 1883
found the Society's home in the New York University building, a gothic
white freestone structure on Washington Square.
Even though the years from 1873 to 1884 were somewhat troubled
by problems of constitutional change and quarters for the Society,
they were also years of growth and increased activity. At the Annual
Meeting of 1876, it was reported that the membership of the organi-
zation consisted of fourteen honorary, fifty-four corresponding, and thir-
ty-four resident members. At the end of this period the list of resident
members had grown by three hundred percent.
A constant pruning of the dead wood from this stock, and of those
found unworthy, was consistently carried out. The example of Robert
Downing should be sufficient to indicate that the Society took great
interest in its members. Downing had apparently become a corresponding
member in February 1868, but nothing more had been heard about
him. Wood, with his usual show of energy, instituted inquiries in Cin-
cinnati which was Downing's last known address. The answers he
received indicated that Downing was, to say the least, a man with a
clouded reputation. It was suggested that Downing, a dealer in second
hand books and old coins, had "lit" out and "was regarded as an
unscrupulous man, void of any business reputation." Another report
contained notice of a rumor to the effect that Downing had been sent
to the workhouse.12 The Executive Committee then decided that since
Downing was no credit to the Society his name should be stricken from
the roll.
In the very next year, 1878, a step of great significance with respect
to the future membership policy of the organization was taken. Mrs.
Sarah Bowne Wood was admitted to the Society as a resident life mem-
ber. No particular notice appears to have been taken at the time that
Mrs. Wood was the first lady to enter these hitherto male precincts, but
the fact that she was the wife of Isaac F. Wood must have played a part
in influencing the group's decision.
Hand in hand with the increase in the membership of the Society
went a consciousness of the importance of symbols of such status. In
January 1875, Betts ascertained that the plate for the Certificate and
the papers relating to it were in the possession of an assignee in bank-
78 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
ruptcy. The Society itself had never defaulted, so it must be assumed
that this was a reference to the bankruptcy of the maker of the plate.
Accordingly, Poillon visited with the assignee, a gentleman by the
name of Nassau, but he was unable to get anything but promises to
deliver the plate. There the matter stood when at an Executive Com-
mittee meeting in November 1875, Wood suggested that the Society
should adopt a membership medal, the reverse of which would be the
seal of the organization. The costs for producing the dies, according
to Lovett, would not be over $75.00, and George H. Lovett proposed
to become a life member by advancing a part of that sum so the actual
cost to the Society would be about $45.00. It was suggested that the
medals be struck in gold, silver, and bronze with prices of $50.00,
$5.00, and $1.50 respectively. A design had not yet been selected, and
the Executive Committee appointed Anthon and Wood a committee
of two to take charge of the medal. At the Annual Meeting of 1876, the
designs were submitted and explained by Wood, and the Executive
Committee recommended that the dies be ordered from George H.
Lovett. At the same time they stated their intention not to allow the
Society to suffer any loss on account of the medal. The experience
gained in the production of the Lincoln medal was now proving
valuable.
At the Executive Committee meeting held on March 23, 1876, the
Secretary was requested to notify all members of their opportunity to
subscribe for the cost of the dies. It was also decided that the price for
the medals to members not subscribing to the cost of the dies would be
slightly higher than to the members who did subscribe.
Two dies were made of the reverse because the first one was rejected
and later destroyed. The final dies were probably ready during the
spring of 1876, and some impressions in tin were submitted to the
Executive Committee in October of that year. Those specimens were
found to be completely satisfactory, and provisions were made for
selling them to the members. There was some difference of opinion
with Lovett regarding the price for the silver medals, but that seems
to have been amicably settled, and the medal must have been a success.
At a special meeting of the Executive Committee on October 1, 1879,
Wood reported the existence of a small deficit, but by January 20,
1873-1883 79
1880, his report to the regular meeting indicated that forty-four mem-
bership medals had been sold. Since the total membership of the
Society was given at the Annual Meeting of 1880, as forty-two life and
resident members, fifty-eight corresponding members, and fifteen ho-
norary members, the response to the striking of the medal was quite
good.
The form of the medal itself was quite pleasing. A circle enclosed
three oak leaves beneath a scroll which contained the motto of the
Society. The name of the organization ran along the outer circle and
was separated by an acorn at either end of the name from the words
MEMBER'S MEDAL. On the reverse there was an oak wreath with a
thunderbolt set in it vertically at the top and a ribbon at the bottom
inclosing a blank for the name and date of membership, and around
the wreath were the words FOUNDED AT NEW YORK MDCCCLVIII, above,
and INCORPD MDCCCLXV, below. The diameter of the piece was
42 mm. Copies of the rejected reverse still exist, but they differ from
the accepted version solely in the fact that the wreath rests upon a
raised band.13
Happily just at the moment when the membership medal made its
appearance in 1876, Poillon managed to recover the membership
plate.14 It was altered by the removal of the line for the signature of the
Corresponding Secretary because that office had been eliminated in
the new Constitution. Certificates of membership were printed, and
together with the medal they provided a new set of symbols for the
Society.
The twentieth anniversary of the founding of the Society happened
to coincide with the year in which the membership medal was struck.
Due note was taken of the event by the appointment of a committee
of three in January 1878, to report "whether and in what manner to
celebrate" the event. This committee, which was apparently headed
by Oliver, merely suggested that a medal be issued to commemorate
the two decades since the founding of the Society.15 When this pro-
posal was put before the members at the Annual Meeting on March 19,
1878, it was decided that such a medallic commemorative would be
more appropriate in celebration of the quarter century mark. In 1883
Wood revived the idea of such a medal and noted that he had origi-
8o PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
nally suggested it five years earlier.16 Once again, however, the event
was permitted to pass without specific notice of any sort.
In 1878, at the Annual Meeting, President Anthon received re-
cognition for his efforts on behalf of the Society when a gold medal of
membership was presented to him by his colleagues. The duty of mak-
ing the presentation address fell on Wood, who was absent from the
meeting. Benjamin Betts was hurriedly called upon to perform the
honors for the group and, despite his protestations in a letter written
the next day, did a very creditable job. The letter itself is worthy of
being quoted in full because the minutes were evidently corrected so
as to conform to the intentions of the speaker.
William Poillon, Esq.
Dear Sir,
You may perhaps imagine my feelings last evening, when called upon at a moment's
notice to perform a task, I should at any time have shrunk from even with ample time
for preparation:you can believe that my thoughts were busy with anathemas for
the gentleman, whose absence on what should have been an interesting occasion,
forced me in a measure into a position from which I would have assuredly escaped
had any means of so doing presented themselves to my mind. Of course it is always
easy to see what ought to have been done when it is quite too late, and this occasion
is no exception to the rule.It is plainly apparent to my mind now, that the right
thing to do was to have quietly adjourned and had a Special Meeting called for the
purpose.As however the thing was blundered through I think it very necessary
that some expression of the feeling that prompted the gift, should have a place in the
report of our proceedings and should be in some way spread upon the minutes
immediately preceding the presentation (such as it was)namely"That the
members of this Society having for a long time been aware of the many obligations
they are under to their worthy President, whose efforts for their instruction and
entertainment, have been so untiring and continuous; and ungrudgingly given; and
being now desirous of manifesting in some suitable manner, their appreciation of his
services, have determined to present him with a slight testimonial of their regard. In
accordance with this determination they have had prepared from the Society's dies
a Membership Medal in Gold suitably inscribed to be presented to him in the name
and on behalf of the Society, as a token of their affection and esteem." This would
take the place of something which "might have been" spoken on the occasion (but was
not) and would in some measure save the report of the proceedings from what will
otherwise appear "flat, stale" and uninteresting. This might be followed up by
saying that Mr.or the gentleman who was to have been present, and made the
presentation address on the occasion, being absent that duty devolved upon a sub-
1873-1883 81
stitute who accompanied the gift with a few remarks (appropriate or otherwise as
you deem proper) without making any attempt to repeat the language which I fear
was rambling and very little to the purpose. I hope you will pardon my presumption
in making this request, as I assure you I feel both grieved and ashamed, of what I
am sure must have appeared to those present a very stupid performance (my own
share in it I mean).
Trusting that you will receive my suggestion in the spirit in which it is made and
that you will not regard it as an unwarrantable interference with your duties; and
leaving the matter entirely to your own judgement to accept or reject the same, and
also trusting soon to hear from you in the matter, I remain,
Yours truly,
Benj. Betts
Have you heard from Wood? I suppose he will be full of excuses.
B.B."
If the actual presentation was not carried out entirely as planned,
the medal itself was well received and executed, and the inscription
TO CHARLES EDWARD ANTHON LLD PRESIDENT FROM HIS FRIENDS THE
MEMBERS A MEMENTO OF KINDLY ESTEEM 1878 was very appropriate.18
Anthon himself was apparently taken by complete surprise, and he
was deeply affected. In 1879, at the Annual Meeting, he showed his
gratitude by donating a beautiful silver vase to the Society. The vase
stood 11 inches high, was 15 inches long and 8 inches wide, and bore
the inscription AM. N. & A. SOG. Later the words "The Anthon
Memento, March 18, 1879" were engraved upon it, and it was filled
with flowers and displayed at all annual meetings until 1891 when it
was discovered that it had been stolen. No trace of it was ever found.19
Even as early as 1878, the American Numismatic and Archaeologi-
cal Society, under the leadership of men like Anthon and Wood, had
a position of prominence, and therefore of responsibility, among the
various American organizations devoted to that field of study. The
members were cognizant of that position of leadership and recognized
their duty to represent the numismatists of the country in co-operation
with the other societies. From their standpoint, for example, the prac-
tice followed by the Philadelphia Mint, in issuing irregularities and
not furnishing pattern pieces to organizations interested in coinage,
was an abuse of authority. With that in mind, Wood suggested at an
Executive Committee meeting on November 15, 1878, that some con-
82 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
certed action be taken by the various numismatic societies to call the
practice to the attention of the government. Four days later, at a regu-
lar meeting of the Society, Wood was appointed a committee of one
to carry out his proposal.
In December, a letter from the Boston Numismatic Society requested
the aid and co-operation of the New York group in contacting officials
in Washington about the matter of pattern pieces. The Secretary was
immediately requested to communicate with the Boston society to secure
uniformity of action.20 Agreement was quickly reached during Janu-
ary of 1879 for joint action, and a month later the Numismatic and
Antiquarian Society of Philadelphia, at its own request, joined the
other two groups.21
The stage was now set for action, but on March 1, 1879, James
Pollack, the superintendent of the United States Mint in Philadelphia,
resigned and Colonel A. Louden Snowden was appointed to succeed
him.22 In view of this change at the highest level, the Philadelphia
society communicated its view that further developments should be
awaited before any action was taken.23 Apparently there existed a
recognized legal right for all incorporated numismatic societies in the
country to purchase pieces from the mint for the value of the metal,
and it was the denial of this privilege by Superintendent Pollack which
caused all the difficulty. The new superintendent reverted to the proper
practice, and in September 1879 issued a circular which fulfilled the
demands of the numismatic societies.
This display of strength and unity, and the success which accom-
panied it, led to a more active intervention in the affairs of the Mint
and the legislature. In 1880-81 the sale of assay medals and the dis-
position of metric sets of coins by the Mint came to the attention of
the Society. In both cases the procedures favored by the Society seem
to have been adopted. At about the same time, a bill was brought up
in the House of Representatives which provided for the duty free
admission of classical antiquities to this country. It passed the House
on January 14, 1880, and was introduced in the Senate on the follow-
ing day. On March 9th, the Senate Committee on Finance favorably
reported the bill, but after a delay of about two weeks, Senator Kirk-
wood of Iowa presented an amendment which would have exempted
1873-1883 83
from all duty imported salt used in the curing of fish. The bill in its
original form had the support of all the educational institutions of the
country, but Senator Kirkwood's amendment was designed to secure
its defeat. The New York Times attacked Sen. Kirkwood on April 20th,
and on the same day the Society passed a resolution, later forwarded
to both houses of Congress, deploring the amendment.24 Gaston L.
Feuardent who had become one of the most prominent and respected
members of the Society pointed out that the bill was of vital impor-
tance to him. He even went to Washington on the evening of April 2oth
to fight for its passage, so that he was unable to read a paper which had
been scheduled for the Society's meeting on that date.25 This may well
have been the immediate cause for the resolution favoring the bill,
passed by the Society at that meeting.
It was also in 1880 that Cleopatra's Needle, the obelisk which stands
in Central Park in New York City, was brought to this country. Some
prominent New York residents undertook to strike a medal commem-
orating the event. The design for that medal was prepared by Charles
Osborne and Gaston L. Feuardent, who displayed it to the Society at
the meeting on the evening of December 21, 1880. Approval of the
design was rapidly forthcoming. It was a suitable occasion for an ex-
pression of that approval, for Commander Henry H. Gorringe, who
had led the expedition which brought the obelisk from Egypt, was
present.26 Only one month before, on November 16th, Feuardent had
added greatly to the prestige of the Society by proposing Gorringe for
membership. At that moment Gorringe was being lionized in the city,
and his fame was widespread throughout the nation. It was quite a
signal success to have interested Gorringe in numismatic matters, and
at the meeting of December 21st Feuardent exhibited several specimens
from the cabinet of Commander Gorringe, and read a brief descriptive
paper about them. The most cordial relations were thus established
between the new member and the older participants in the work of the
Society. The meeting of January 18,1881, was devoted to a reading of a
paper by Feuardent on The Bronze Crabs of the Obelisk. The Society de-
cided to publish this paper prior to the ceremonies of the presentation
of the obelisk to the city. Much was made of the connection established
with the obelisk through the name of Commander Gorringe. The result
6*
84 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
was that the Committee in charge of the preparations for the official
presentation extended an invitation to Professor Anthon and to the
entire membership of the Society to attend the ceremonies as a body.27
Aside from the presentation of the Lincoln commemorative medal
to President Johnson, this appears to have been the only public cere-
mony of note in which the Society participated during these early
years. In this instance, however, the part played by the Society and
particularly by one of its illustrious members was given prominence.
Robert Hewitt,Jr., began collecting memorabilia relating to the obelisk;
and one year later, after he had framed the medals, photographs, and
other objects in his collection, he donated them in his own name and
in the name of the Society, to the New-York Historical Society and the
American Geographical Society. The entire tale of the connection of
the Society with the erection of the obelisk in Central Park brought
favorable publicity to the group.
In 1882, the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York pro-
posed to erect a statue to George Washington, to stand in front of the
U.S. Sub-Treasury on Wall Street in lower Manhattan. Royal Phelps
was apparently the chairman of the committee of the Chamber of
Commerce which was dealing with this matter. On January 17, 1882,
the Society intervened by requesting Hewitt to communicate to Phelps
the suggestion that such an event should be commemorated by a
medal. An offer was made on behalf of the Society to co-operate fully
in the preparation of such a medal, and the Chamber of Commerce
was not slow to take up the offer. The result was the striking of a
beautiful piece in 1883, to commemorate the centennial anniversary
of the evacuation of New York by the British. The observe type is a
representation of the statue which now stands in front of the Sub-
Treasury; the reverse contains commemorative inscriptions and the
seals of the Chamber of Commerce of the State of New York, and on
the left the seal of the City of New York, while on the right is the
seal of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society.28
Perhaps the most intriguing of the events of this ten year period in-
volved a conflict between General Luigi Palma di Cesnola, the Direc-
tor of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Gaston L. Feuardent,
who, it will be recalled, was one of the Society's most prominent
1873-1883 85
members. This dispute arose over Feuardent's charges that the objects
of the Cesnola collection had been tampered with, and the reports of
their discovery falsified. Cesnola countered with charges of dishonesty
leveled at his opponent. Such a quarrel between the leading figures of
two learned institutions could not proceed in a vacuum, and indeed,
it was not long before other members of the scholarly fraternity were
deeply involved and the institutions were at odds with each other.
Immediately after the Civil War, Luigi di Cesnola was appointed
United States Consul to Cyprus, where he became interested in archae-
ological investigation.29 He was granted permission by the Sultan of
Turkey to undertake excavations, and he dug with enthusiasm at
Idalium, Salamis, Citium, and Golgoi. In 1873 Cesnola returned to the
United States and disposed of his collection by sale to the newly
established Metropolitan Museum of Art. Upon his return to Cyprus
he continued his investigations, and in 1875 he excavated the ruins of
Paphos, Amathus and Curium. The results of those excavations were
also sold to the Metropolitan Museum, and the total number of objects
recovered was now forty thousand. In 1877 the United States Consu-
late on Cyprus was closed. Cesnola now returned to this country and
was appointed Director of the Metropolitan Museum. He devoted his
first year to the preparation of his great work, Cyprus, Its Ancient Cities,
Tombs and Temples, which was published in 1878. The merit of his work
received universal recognition. Both Columbia and Princeton con-
ferred upon him the degree of LL.D. and the Royal Society of London,
as well as the Royal Academy of Sciences of Turin, elected Cesnola as
an honorary member. Other groups followed suit, and Victor Emma-
nuel II, King of Italy, and the King of Bavaria bestowed upon him
knightly orders and decorations. The next King of Italy, Umberto,
had a gold medal issued in honor of Cesnola's work.
Cesnola's opponent in this dispute was Gaston L. Feuardent, who
was also a man of great distinction. He was born in France in 1843
and inherited his interest in numismatics and antiquities from his
father, Felix Feuardent, an art dealer and numismatist in Paris, as well
as from his grandfather. Nothing was more natural than that he should
enter his father's business where he advanced so rapidly that at the age
of twenty-five he was given the responsibility of opening a branch
86 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
house in London. He achieved a reputation as an expert quite early
in life and was recognized by the British Museum. While still in London
his path crossed that of Cesnola when he acted as an agent for the
General in the sale of his Cypriote collection to the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. In 1876 Feuardent came to New York to establish a
branch of the renowned Parisian firm of Rollin and Feuardent. Short-
ly after his arrival here he was elected as a member of the Society, and
he became quite active, serving as Curator of Archaeology from 1885
to 1888.30
When the Metropolitan Museum of Art was founded in 1870, and
when in 1873, it moved to more spacious quarters in the Douglas
Mansion, 128 East 14th Street, the cultured residents of the City
rejoiced. In 1874 the building of its present home on Fifth Avenue
north of 79th Street was begun, and a special note of the plan for the
building and encouragement for the proposal was published in the
American Journal of Numismatics?1 Even at that early date the purchase
of the first part of the Cesnola Collection had been concluded. The
value of the collection was placed in the vicinity of $200,000, but it
was sold as a whole to the Metropolitan for $50,000. Feuardent had
handled much of the transaction for Cesnola, and it seems that the
British Museum and the Louvre had both put in bids. 32 It is thus
apparent that relations between Feuardent and Cesnola were very
harmonious at that time. Relations between the Society and the new
Metropolitan Museum of Art were also close as shown by the nego-
tiations for a display of a part of the Society's collection. These nego-
tiations were eventually permitted to lapse by the Society because
it felt that its collection was not large enough to warrant such treat-
ment, but relations with the museum remained friendly. It should
therefore occasion no surprise that when the second and third lots of
the Cesnola Collection appeared on the market in 1876, Isaac F. Wood
was specifically requested to aid in having the Museum purchase them.33
This effort was completely successful and not only was the collection
purchased, but shortly afterward Cesnola himself was appointed the
first Director of the Metropolitan Museum. In the meantime his book
on his excavations had appeared and Feuardent had migrated to
America and joined the Society. Once here Feuardent resumed his
1873-1883 87
scholarly work and in March 1878, at the Annual Meeting, two of his
papers on the Cesnola Collection and the De Morgan Collection were
read before the Society.34 In these papers, Feuardent discussed some
rather trivial scholarly problems, but he had only praise for the work
of Cesnola and for the collection. No aspersions whatsoever were cast
upon the authenticity of any part of it. At the Annual Meeting of 1879,
Feuardent read still another paper dealing with material from the
publications of Cesnola, and once again he does not seem to have
suspected that any of it was questionable.35
Feuardent apparently published a number of articles on the Cesnola
Collection in various popular journals before he became aware that
there was something seriously amiss. But, in an article published in the
Art Amateur in August of 1880, Feuardent publicly voiced his doubts
about the collection. Statements made at different times by Cesnola,
were very shortly seen to be in conflict with one another. Cesnola had
stated in his book that the statue of Aphrodite and Eros was found at
Golgoi, but he later asserted that it was already in New York, when
the first Cesnola collection was in London. Feuardent had accepted
Cesnola's statement that "no unmistakable Venus had been found at
Golgoi," and he was therefore faced by the problem of reconciling two
contradictory statements. As he studied the problem it occurred to
him that perhaps this was more than a simple slip or error. It did indeed
seem possible to him that the Cesnola report of the excavations, and
the strange pieces of sculpture which he had recovered, were part of
a gigantic hoax or fraud perpetrated at the expense of serious scholars
throughout the world, but particularly against the Trustees of the
Metropolitan Museum. Further study and comparison of many photo-
graphs taken at various times showed conclusively that some of the
statuary had been tampered with as well and changed in its essential
character.36 Feuardent felt that it was his duty to lay this before the
public.
General Cesnola, of course, was not slow to answer these charges.
First he rejected the accusations as groundless, and then in a communi-
cation of his own to the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art, he accused Feuardent of dishonesty.37 Now the public
journals took up the dispute, and charges and countercharges flew
88 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
thick and fast between the disputants. Feuardent wrote to the Com-
mittee of the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art and requested
that since they had heard and accepted Cesnola's charges, they should
also hear the evidence supporting Feuardent. To forward this claim
to a hearing, Feuardent published his answer by printing side by
side the charges made by Cesnola and extracts from the correspon-
dence between them.38 Cesnola's charges were of a most serious nature.
According to the information given out by the Director of the Metro-
politan Museum, Feuardent was virtually a cheat and a scoundrel.
Feuardent's published answer was hardly sufficient to put such accu-
sations to rest.
The Board of Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum of Art had al-
ready met, on February 21, 1881, to judge the validity of the charges
originally made by Feuardent. They passed a resolution stating that
they had "always known the falsehood of the published (Feuardent's)
charges," and had "never ceased to entertain the highest confidence
in his (Cesnola's) devotion and faithfulness to the interests, not alone
of the Museum, but of truth and scholarship, and history."
By the terms of that resolution Cesnola was completely vindicated
and Feuardent's name was blackened. This step on the part of the
Trustees was taken before Feuardent had presented his case, and in a
letter to the New York Times of March 17, 1881, he protested that the
Committee appointed to examine the evidence had been imposed upon
by Cesnola.39 Public opinion was deeply divided. Clarence Cook, an
art critic and later editor of The Studio, wrote a competent study of
some of the pieces of sculpture which formed a part of the Cesnola
Collection. From the writings of Cesnola himself, and from other docu-
ments including photographs and descriptions given by other noted
authorities, he proved quite conclusively that the statuary belonging
to the Cesnola Collection was largely made up of unrelated fragments
which were in many cases retouched; that this retouching caused the
fragments to lose any scientific value which they might once have had;
that no confidence could be placed in Cesnola's assertions as to where
he had discovered the pieces; that the Collection, as a result of the
recutting of certain surfaces and the retouching, was likely to be a
source of error and trouble.40 Cook also quoted some correspondence
1873-1883 89
from Cesnola to himself which was highly compromising as far as the
Director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art was concerned. All this
material was published by Feuardent and seems to have made quite
an impression. Not all were convinced by this display, however, and
the Evening Post of April 14, 1881, published an editorial highly critical
of Feuardent, calling him a Mephitis Americana and consigning to Cook
the pleasure of consorting with him while others avoided his company.
The editorial pointed out that if Feuardent were now to give up the
fight he would be lost, and it therefore warned the public that it was a
matter of life or death with him to pervert honest men and respectable
journals to his purpose.
Feuardent was not lacking in his answer. He published a series of so-
called cards, which contained photographs of the statuary of the Ces-
nola Collection, showing what it had originally been and what changes
had been made by recutting and other procedures. This was certainly
most incriminating and effective evidence. The Nation of May 12, 1881,
took note of the existence of these cards and pointed out the seriousness
of the evidence. The editors wrote, "We have said this card is one of a
series, and the Director and Trustees of the Museum and the Examining
Committee ought not to suffer another to appear before vindicating
trustworthiness of the collection by an adequate explanation of the
existence of these photographs." The New York Times of May 14, 1881,
supported a similar view, and declared, "Even the Trustees of the
Metropolitan Museum of Art must see by this time that the policy of
'silent contempt' adopted by them in regard to the charges against
their Director, can only have the result of making themselves contempt-
ible." The Times published on that day an indictment written by
Feuardent of the antiquities of the Cesnola Collection and demanded
that thejTrustees reopen the case and examine the matter fully and
openly.
But all this, though of great general interest, would be of no concern
to the Society save for the fact that Feuardent himself was one of its
most prominent members, and charges against him reflected upon the
men associated with him. As a result, on a motion by Professor Anthon
at the meeting of May 17, 1881, the Secretary was directed to write to
the Principal Librarian of the British Museum "calling his attention
9o PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
to the public charges regarding the character of our fellow member
Gaston L. Feuardent and desiring to know officially if he enjoys the
confidence of the authorities of the British Museum."41 Answers were
not long in forthcoming. C. T. Newton, Keeper of the Department
of Greek and Roman Antiquities of the British Museum, and Reginald
Stuart Poole, Keeper of the Department of Coins and Medals, both
wrote letters stating that they had every reason to be satisfied with
Feuardent's capacity and honesty.42
Public confidence was somewhat shaken by the publication of
Feuardent's cards and by the answer which he published even before
the receipt of these letters. The American Art Review of May 1881 pointed
out how regrettable it was that the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the
"Foremost art institution in the country," should be involved in such
a controversy, but it also noted that Feuardent had provided material
"for a first-class libel suit" in his published answer, and the public
might well be unwilling to approve appropriations for the enlargement
of the Museum unless the Trustees saw fit to quiet such disturbing
evidence once and for all. The Art Amateur of June 1881 was even more
decisive and emphatic. Its columns contained a virtual approval of
Feuardent's position which had first been presented in that journal:
How long, we wonder, will the Trustees of the Museum consent to pull the
chestnuts out of the fire for their disingenuous Director? It would seem incredible,
if we did not know it to be true, that honorable gentlemen should silently assent
to the disreputable practices that disgrace the Museum. Almost under their very
eyes alterations are being made in objects in the Cesnola collection, in the hopeless
endeavor to disprove Mr. Feuardent's charges in The Art Amateur. Fortunately for
the interest of truth, various photographs of the objects in dispute, taken at various
times, are coming to light to the confusion of the shameless attempts at falsification.
We have never doubted that the American spirit of fairness would eventually secure
Mr. Feuardent's vindication, and the disgrace of his unprincipled assailants. The
time for this, we believe, is near at hand.
It is evident from these notices that Feuardent and his friends, in-
cluding his colleagues in the American Numismatic and Archaeolo-
gical Society, were now pressing their position with determination and
with good effect. Richard Hoe Lawrence suggested that the correspon-
dence with the British Museum should be published in the next issue
1873-1883 91
of the Annual Proceedings, a view which was supported by Professor
Anthon. Feuardent noted the possibility that it might well be too late
for such a proccedure and offered to have them published privately.43
Apparently the Proceedings had already gone to press, but the report of
the meeting of the Society on November 15,1881, published the following
day in the New York Times, made specific mention of the support given
to Feuardent by the corespondence from the British Museum.
Cesnola had cast clear aspersions of dishonesty at Feuardent in
conducting the negotiations for the sale of his collection. This is what
had brought the Society into the matter. It was essential that these
charges be disproved, and Feuardent took cognizance of them him-
self by writing to his bankers in England. The answer he received fully
supported his position and showed his absolute honesty.44 Feuardent
now resorted to the courts to secure vindication by pressing a libel
action against Cesnola. At the same time he felt compelled to address a
statement to the Society indicating his position. In that statement he
said:
I believed that in addressing myself to the Courts of Justice I could procure a
speedy vindication of my character which had been publicly attacked by Mr.
Cesnola; but by taking advantage of one of the numerous technicalities of the law
by which at the eleventh hour he was enabled to remove the case to another court,
he has succeeded in postponing for an indefinite period the hearing of the action.
In the meantime I consider that I owe it to my fellow-members of the Society to
state most positively that the accusations made against me are without the least
foundation, and to say that I am ready to submit to the inspection of any member
documentary evidence proving conclusively that all the charges made by Mr. di
Cesnola are false, and that he knows them to be so. In relation to the principal
accusationthat of extorting money by receiving from Mr. J. S. Morgan, American
banker in London, who was acting for Mr. John Taylor Johnston, a sum of $ 13,000
as payment against my bill against the first Cesnola collection, a sum that Mr. Cesnola
says he "regarded as an exorbitant (sic) amount" I beg to submit to you a letter
from one of the partners of the banking-house of Frederick Burt & Co. 7r-72 Cornhill,
London, which explains that the check drawn by Mr. Morgan was altogether for
2,800; that it was cashed by them, and that only 1400 were put to my credit
while Mr. Cesnola was creditied with the rest of the amount. With this sum he
opened his banking account with that firm. I leave it to you, gentlemen, to judge
whether Mr. Cesnola can possibly have forgotten the receiving of 1400, and to
decide for yourselves what value should be attached to his accusations.
92 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
The issue was fairly joined in the courts, but other factors than the
mere correctness of Feuardent's assertions and the falsity of the charges
levelled at him were to play a part in the decision there. The case
itself ended without a clear cut decision when it was presented to a jury.
As a later student of the affair noted, the results were necessarily inde-
cisive in this case which "on account of its having the appearance of a
personal difference between the parties, prejudiced all the important
issues, and by referring to an ordinary jury, matters which could be
determined only by a jury of experts, failed to throw any light on the
question; nevertheless, this trial did bring to light certain facts which
to the archaeological world must be convincing."45
The legal ruses employed by Cesnola to delay the processes of the
trial were quite transparent, and the testimony offered confirmed the
stand taken by Feuardent. The public quickly became aware of the
situation because of the newspapers. The New York Times of March 15,
1882, carried an editorial saying:
The time seems to be at hand when the Trustees of the Metropolitan Museum
of Art would brace themselves for another effort, and this time an honest and resolute
one, to discover just how much there is in the accumulated charges against Gen. di
Cesnola. They have not been particularly successful in silencing Mr. Feuardent, and
since his charges have been reinforced by those of the late Assistant Director,Mr.Savage,
sustained by the photographer, Mr. Cox, emphasized by one of the "restorers,"
Mr. Gehlen, and amplified by a small literature of illustrative cards, pamphlets, and
communications to the press, the Trustees owe it to their reputation as honorable
men, as well as to the usefulness of the institution they represent, that neither they
or it should be identified with imposture. The 'silent contempt' policy has been
pursued too long. Mr. di Cesnola has been offered a chance to vindicate his aspersed
character in the courts, but has done his best to place the ordeal as far off as possible.
The Trustees may, presumably think, in the light of recent revelations, that their
own character for fairness and honesty cannot so easily wait for vindication.
The Society itself strove manfully on Feuardent's behalf. The
published notice of the Twenty-fourth Annual Meeting in the New
York Times of March 29, 1882, contained a long quotation from the
letters received by Feuardent from his bankers in England showing the
falseness of the charges of dishonesty against him. The report in the
Times also noted that the Society had decided to publish its correspon-
1873-1883 93
dence with the authorities of the British Museum regarding Feuardent
in the annual report and went on to say, "The members of the Society
were unanimous in their desire publicly to vindicate Mr. Feuardent's
reputation for honesty." Feuardent had submitted the last letters from
his bankers to the Society during the very month of the Annual Meet-
ing.46 Of course, the Society carried out its intention to publish the
correspondence that had passed between it and the British Museum
in the Proceedings of the organization at the Annual Meeting in 1882.
The Society had taken a firm stand in support of Feuardent, but the
indecisiveness of the legal proceedings left room for embarrassing com-
ments on the part of others. There were bound to be incidents, and
one such affair took place during the Annual Meeting of the Society in
1883, when Algernon S. Sullivan, a prominent member of the organi-
zation, delivered an address and included a statement which said,
"In this, our public meeting, and with unstinted admiration, we are
glad to pay tribute to the valuable treasures in the Metropolitan Mu-
seum of Art which are the splendid discoveries of our fellow citizen,
General Luigi di Cesnola. His collection awakened new and world
wide interest in Archaeology, and as it is more carefully examined and
studied, it becomes more and more firmly established in the estimation
of enlightened students. It represents, not spoliation, but the release
from tens of thousands of tombs of the missives and records of the
people who ruled in Asia and in Europe three thousand years ago.
With painstaking purpose they deposited their message to be resurrect-
ed after the lapse of thirty centuries and we have that message here
with us in New York. Thanks to the labor and zeal of General Di Ces-
nola."47 Unfortunately, notice of these remarks was transmitted to the
local press, and the next day, March 21st, when the Daily Tribune and
the Evening Post appeared, they contained summaries of the events of
the meeting which included note of the praise given to Cesnola. Happi-
ly the World, the Morning Journal and the Herald reported the meeting
but omitted any reference to Cesnola. Still, the publication of this
news in two of the local newspapers was sufficient to cause a reaction
among the members. Cyrus Lawrence, who had read the account in
the Evening Post, immediately wrote to Poillon about this compliment
paid to Cesnola. "If such was the fact I certainly consider it an insult
94 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
to the Society and to some of its most esteemed members. One of whom
at least, Mr. Gaston L. Feuardent, has the right to claim protection,
especially just at this time, to the extent at least, of the exclusion of
anything in the nature of an endorsement of his defamer, such as would
naturally be implied was accorded him, by the admission of such a
paper among the archives of the Society."48 He went on to demand that
the Society issue a public statement denying it, if the account in the
Evening Post was incorrect. Poillon, of course, hastened to calm any
fear that Feuardent might have had on that score. In a letter to him he
said, "The reference made by Mr. Sullivan to our adversary, in de-
livering his address at our Annual Meeting, I have reason to believe
was entirely unintentional. You may rest assured nothing will be in the
minutes of the Proceedings which will annoy any of us."49 Poillon was
as good as his word, for the manuscript of the address was submitted
to Robert Hewitt, Jr., who made the necessary corrections and emen-
dations to cut out the reference to Cesnola. As published in the Pro-
ceedings with its teeth removed the speech was quite innocuous.50
Time, however, did nothing to heal the breach between the litigants,
Feuardent and Cesnola, but it did create problems for the Society.
Judge Nathaniel Shipman, who was hearing the case, was proposed for
honorary membership in the Society by Richard S. Ely in January of
1884, while the trial was still in progress. In proposing him Ely wrote,
"Would[it be in order for me to propose for Honorary Membership,
Judge Nathaniel Shipman of the United States District Court? His
patient attention for more than two months past (& which may con-
tinue much longer) to the consideration of Foreign Archaeology must
fully qualify him." 51 The Executive Committee of the Society reacted
firmly and rejected the application. Poillon notified Ely of this fact and
said, "In reply to your favor 8th inst. our Executive Committee do not
think it would be for the interest of our Society to have the Hon.
Nathaniel Shipman's name brought forward for Honorary Member-
ship at this time for the reason that it would identify us with a case yet
unsettled in the Courts. Mr. Feuardent being a member of this Society
it might be the cause of unfavorable comments."52
It is apparent that while the case was in the process of adjudication
the Society was determined to take no action that might prejudice the
1873-1883 95
decision. Gaston Feuardent, however, did not give up the attack. It
will be recalled that he had addressed the Society in 1878 about some
of the identifications made in the cataloguing of the Cesnola Collection.
Those identifications were made before he suspected the questionable
character of much of the collection. In November 1882, he read a
paper before the Society in which he took up the problem once again,
and in which he stated that his work on a rare first brass of Alexander
Severus had led him to discover the characteristics of Spes, the Roman
goddess. The subject of his earlier paper had been the statuette iden-
tified as Spes in the Cesnola Collection. Feuardent tied the two things
together when he said, "I expect to be able to submit to you very soon
an exact report of the discoveries recently made at Idalium in Cyprus,
by Herr Max Ohnefalsch Richter, in connection with the history of
the representations of this divinity, Spes Vetus of the Romans. I have
no doubt that we shall be able to identify that divinity with the Aphro-
dite Infernalis (Venus-Proserpina) of the Greeks, and this will help us to
prove that the little statuette in the Metropolitan Museum (about
which I entertained you some years ago) cannot maintain the right of
holding the mirror that has been placed in its left hand since I had
the honour of reading my paper before you."53 A full account of this
address was given in the New York Times on January 19th, 1884, a year
and a half after it was delivered. The problem of the Cesnola Collection
was thus kept before the public.
Unfortunately, the trial of the libel suit pressed by Feuardent against
Cesnola came to an end indecisively when the jury failed to agree
upon a verdict. For some reason the Trustees of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art chose to interpret this as a victory for the Director of the
Metropolitan, and in a resolution to that effect they declared him
vindicated. The Society felt called upon to answer, and as a result, at
a special meeting on March 1, 1884, a motion was unanimously passed
expressing the belief that the Society held in the correctness of Feuar-
dent's charges:
Whereas: Our fellow-member, Mr. Gaston L. Feuardent, a gentleman with a
well established reputation as an expert in regard to the authenticity of objects of
antiquity, seeing reason to question the genuineness of certain Cypriote sculptures
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and disapproving the treatment to which the
96 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
objects in the Cypriote collection, generally, were subjected by their custodians,
made his criticisms public, and thereby subjected himself to attacks upon his personal
character and his professional reputation; and,
Whereas: In order to defend his character and in the interest of truth and justice
he was forced to carry on a law suit against one of his defamers at a heavy expendi-
ture of money, and a great sacrifice of time; and
Whereas: Through his self-sacrificing efforts, the true history and character of a
costly and celebrated collection of sculpture have been established, and a pernicious
system of repairs and restorations have been thoroughly exposed; therefore be it
Resolved: That the evidence elicited during the course of the late trial has but
heightened the favorable opinion we have always entertained respecting our fellow-
member Mr. Gaston L. Feuardent, and has strengthened our confidence in his
ability as an expert, his integrity of purpose, and his unselfish devotion to the truth,
and we hereby express the belief that as a knowledge of Art and Archaeology is more
widely disseminated in this country, the views held by him, in common with every
archaeologist of any repute in Europe, respecting the treatment of antique objects
will be accepted here, as the only correct views, alike by scholars and by those who
shall have such objects in their custody. And be it also
Resolved: That this Society deeply regrets that it should have fallen upon Mr.
Feuardent to bear alone the burden of a suit undertaken largely in the true interest
and for the benefit alike of the Metropolitan Museum and of the general public. And
we hereby tender him our thanks for his valuable services to Art and Archaeology
and assure him of our sympathy with his aims, our appreciation of his character, and
our sense of his value as a member of this Society.
This resolution was not only presented to Feuardent by a Committee
from the Society, but it was also given out to the public press and ap-
peared in the New York Times of March 6, 1884. As it was disseminated,
the resolution had only the character of support rendered to Feuardent.
but the manuscript notes of the meeting show that there were origi-
nally two more paragraphs which were inserted between the last of the
introductory statements and the first operative section. The text of these
two paragraphs has been recovered and it worthy of being quoted.
Whereas: It appears in a recent report of the proceedings at a meeting of the Board
of Trustees of the Museum, that the result of the late trial is regarded by them as a
complete vindication of the methods employed, with their sanction, in the treat-
ment of the objects forming the said Cypriote Collection; be it, therefore,
Resolved: That we deem it our duty as a Society devoted to the interests of Art
and Archaeology, to protest against the acceptance of such principles, and to express
our deep regret that the Trustees of the Museum should have seen fit to adopt them;
Frederick James DC Peyster
Gen. J. Watts De Peyster
Membership Medal of Benjamin Betts, President (1870-1873)
The City College
Charles Henry Wright
Charles E. Anthon
President 1867, 1868-1870, 1873-1883
1873-1883 97
believing as we do that such methods of treating antique objects are radically
wrong; and that the effect of the Trustee's decision will be to impair the usefulness
of the Museum as an institution of education.
Apparently the members at the special meeting agreed that any
direct attack on the Metropolitan Museum would only seem to weaken
their case, and so the resolution was confined to supporting the posi-
tion taken by Feuardent. Clearly the Society was not in a position to
enter the lists against the Museum, but it was prepared to go some
distance beyond merely passing resolutions in support of Feuardent.
On January 2oth, 1885, William J. Stillman, artist, journalist, and
diplomat, was elected as a resident member of the Society.54 He was a
man with a wide range of interests and experiences including service
in war as well as in peace. The motive for Stillman's election as a resi-
dent member becomes apparent when it is noted that on the very day
of his election the following resolution was passed by the society:
Resolved that in view of the importance to Archaeological truth involved in the
question of the "provenances" and other points connected with the Cypriote Col-
lection of Antiquities in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and believing that it is
expedient to collate the information and evidence thus far obtained, as to the above
points: therefore:
Resolved: That Mr. W. J. Stillman be requested as an archaeologist and member
of this Society to examine the evidence and report upon the same in order to enable
the Society to decide as to the propriety of further investigation.66
Stillman himself apparently spoke in support of this resolution even
though it was his first contact with the Society, and he stated quite
baldly that in the interest of Archaeology he had paid "a great deal
of attention to the matter since it was brought to his notice about three
years ago, and that he was now able to collate and put in shape such
evidence as he could procure by a personal visit to the excavations, so
that everyone could judge as to the correctness of the charges made
against the genuineness of the collection. His intention being to make
his report to this Society."
There can be no doubt that an ingenious plan had been evolved
whereby Stillman was made a member of the Society so that he could
give currency to his views. A letter written by Stillman, apparently from
98 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
Rome just before he was dropped from the membership roll of the
Society, confirms that view. It seems likely that he had not paid dues,
and that the Secretary had written to him to demand such payment.
In response he said, "Yours of the 18th ult. is received. It was distinctly
understood before I left New York that my membership of the Archae-
ological Society was not intended to be permanent as Mr. Lawrence
will explain to you if you refer to him. I am a permanent resident of
Rome and in any case the membership of the Society would be of no
utility to anyone."56 His task completed, Stillman seems to have lost
all interest in the Society.
Stillman's report, however, does merit some consideration. It was
privately printed in 1885 under the title Report of W. J. Stillman on the
Cesnola Collection. In the some thirty-three pages of closely reasoned
text, he presents a complete vindication of Feuardent and an indict-
ment of Cesnola. Evidence was drawn from many sources including the
trial, on-the-spot investigations in Cyprus, various published records,
and affidavits submitted by Cypriotes. Stillman's report must for all
intents and purposes be considered as the last broadside fired by the
Society in defense of Feuardent, and if it is judged impartially it must
be considered extremely effective. Neither party to the dispute had
won a clear cut victory in the courts or in the public forums; the Metro-
politan Museum stood by its champion and the Society defended its
hero, but in the final analysis the weight of the evidence marshalled
by the Society in support of Feuardent was considerable. It could not
be disregarded in any future consideration of the Cypriote collection.
Certainly the Feuardent-Cesnola controversy was the most inter-
esting event of the decade as far as the Society was concerned, because
in a sense it mirrored the passage of the Society from the realm of a
group of collectors to the status of a responsible institution with scho-
larly pretensions. It is quite true that the organization could not as
yet claim a universal recognition as a great institution, but it had
fought against an institution of undoubted eminence in the scholarly
world, and it had held its ground fairly. This would have been vir-
tually impossible at an earlier date. It is extremely significant that by
the quarter centennial of its existence the Society could defend its
point of view and support the members who expressed their convictions.
1873-1883 9$
This increase in the stature of the Society, of course, had its counter-
part in the growth of the Society's collection and library, as well as
in its contacts with other groups. To cite only a few of the features
marking such growth, there were the series of informal meetings of the
Society which were held to hear papers and to hold discussions with-
out dealing with business matters. These meetings began in 1880, and
were a success from the very beginning. It is also to be noted that
groups in other places sought to follow the model of the Society. When
a new group was founded in Charleston, they had recourse to the
Society for information.57 Even the government took notice of the or-
ganization; the Bureau of Education of the Department of the Interior
requested information regarding the Library and collection for in-
clusion in a new volume devoted to listing American libraries.58 In
1877, the Publisher's Weekly inquired about the Society's publications in
connection with a catalogue of American books issued before July 1,
1876.59 In actual fact, the publications of the Society were not numerous
during the period even though there were many futile negotiations
with various authors who were anxious to have their works issued
under its auspices. Occasional papers, which were delivered in the
form of addresses to the Society, and the Proceedings of the Society at
its annual meetings were published regularly after 1878, but apart
from these there were no volumes issued.
The library of the Society, however, grew appreciably. As early as
1874, the "Doctor Isaac F. Wood Fund" of $50.00 was established
with the proceeds from the sale of coins donated by Wood. This money
was to be permanently invested and the interest only applied to
library purposes. Steady growth resulted from judicious purchases
and gifts, so that only two years later it was found advisable to insure
the books and cases for $500.00. In 1879, Wood, the Librarian, listed
the holdings as 271 bound volumes and 1993 pamplets, unbound serials,
and the like. Subscriptions were resorted to among the members to
raise the funds necessary for the purchase of some expensive works
such as Loubat's Medallic History of the United States.
The numismatic and archaeological collection followed almost
exactly the same course. There was a continuous increase in the hold-
ings of the Society but always by a series of almost imperceptible steps.
7*
100 PROGRESS AND CONFLICT
There were, to be sure, some strange and unusual gifts proffered to
the Society during this period, and some were accepted, but the general
character of the development remained constant. As examples of these
gifts, one might mention an offer of the Lord's Prayer written with a
pen, in ninety-four different languages. This offer was rejected by the
Society. On the other hand, an oak frame containing the original
Broadside Proclamation of Queen Anne, issued in 1704, for settling
and ascertaining the current rates of foreign coin in the British colonies
in America, and an archaeological map of America with thirty mar-
ginal engravings of memorable events and portraits of historical per-
sonages, were accepted. Even a stone axe given by King Kalakaua of
Hawaii to Gen. Charles E. Furlong was accepted, and there was an
offer of the death warrant of Charles I. These, however, were insig-
nificant and in the long run they disappeared from the collection,
whereas by far the greater number of gifts as well as all the purchases
were quite prosaic coins and medals which formed the foundation for
the collection to be built in later years.
OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
1883-1905
>r a decade the fortunes of the Society had been directed by the
capable Professor Charles E. Anthon, and during that period the or-
ganization attained maturity and a certain stature in the community.
Public notice of its activities was more evident than before, and the
opinions and positions taken by the Society on some major issues
carried weight. In 1883 Anthon retired from his chair at the College
of the City of New York, and in May of that year, just two months
after his election to the Presidency of the Society for the twelfth time,
he sailed for Europe. One month later word was received of his death
abroad. The shock to the group assembled on the evening of June 12,
1883, at a special meeting for the election of new members must have
been very great when Parish arose in his capacity as First Vice-Presi-
dent and announced the sad tidings. A committee was immediately
appointed with Professor Woolf as Chairman "to make suitable ex-
pression of the respect of the Society for the memory of Prof. Anthon."
Woolf was the logical choice for this task because he had been a col-
league of Anthon's not only in the Society but also on the faculty of the
City College.1 This Committee decided that the proper memorial to
commemorate Anthon's work would be the striking of a medal. Several
artists including Charles E. Barber, Engraver of the U.S. Mint, sub-
101
102 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
mitted bids to prepare the dies. Barber's bid was apparently supported
by A. Louden Snowden, the Superintendent of the Mint, who wrote
directly to the Society.2 The authority to choose the artist who would
prepare the dies, however, did not rest with Woolf but with the Com-
mittee.3 The response to the medal was quite gratifying because Woolf
was soon able to report that thirty-four subscriptions had been re-
ceived from members of the Society and that ten faculty members of
the City College had also indicated a desire to subscribe. Lea Ahlborn
of the Swedish Mint had submitted an estimate to strike 1 oo medals
in bronze, and a subscription price of $5.00 for each impression in
bronze was set for the members of the Society.
Under Woolf's guidance the work of the Committee seems to have
progressed very slowly, perhaps as a result of the poor health of its
chairman.4 By the end of April there was as yet no decision as to who
was to prepare the dies for the medal, and Barber submitted some
samples for the examination of the Committee.5 Poillon, Hewitt, Betts,
and Low seem to have accepted much of the responsibility for the
memorial during Woolf's illness. At a meeting of these men with Pre-
sident Parish on May 9, 1884, it was decided to accept a bid from
Madame Lea Ahlborn. In a letter dated October 31, 1883, the Swedish
sculptress had offered to cut the dies for about $200.00. Since the sum
of $250.00 had already been raised by subscription, the medal was
an assured success from the very beginning.6
Despite the illness of Professor Woolf, the other members of the Com-
mittee showed a great deal of energy, and some time in June of 1884
the order was given to Lea Ahlborn to prepare the medal.7 In Novem-
ber of that year, exactly twelve months after the receipt of the letter
from the Swedish sculptress, a plaster cast of the proposed medal was
displayed to the Society. Woolf had seen the medal abroad somewhat
earlier and in a letter to Poillon he described it as "an excellent ideali-
zation of our friend, and withal a sufficiently accurate portrait. For my
own part I like it exceedingly as a work of art and as a precious me-
mento of the dead. I believe all who can appreciate the difficulty of
the task set Lea Ahlborn will be satisfied." The final report of the
Secretary of the Committee, Low, stated that "The beauty of design
and execution of the relic is a matter of universal acknowledgement
1883-1905 103
and the members of the Society are to be congratulated upon having
so faithful a likeness of their deceased President." Some of the members,
particularly Wood, do not seem to have been completely satisfied with
the result, but it would appear as though the grounds for their dis-
satisfaction were personal animosity towards individual members of
the Committee rather than anything related to the medal itself.8
Once the dies were completed in March of 1885, twelve impressions
in silver as well as sixty-six in bronze were forwarded for sale. At Pro-
fessor Woolf's suggestion it was ordered that when the dies had been
used to strike eighty-five impressions in bronze and fifteen in silver they
should be cancelled and deposited in the cabinets of the Society. Al-
most all the medals were subscribed for quickly, and by the end of 1886
the transactions relating to this medal were completed. The piece was
very impressive, showing on the obverse a bust of Professor Anthon,
without drapery, in profile, facing left, surrounded by the inscription
CHARLES EDWARD ANTHON, LL.D., within a circle of beads and under
the decollation the name LEA AHLBORN. The reverse was composed
of the wreath of two branches of leaves, oak to the left and laurel to
the right, with the junction of the branches covered by the seal of
the Society beneath which was the date 1884. The inscription within
the wreath read BORN IN NEW YORK CITY DEC. 6, 1822. DIED AT BREMEN
JUNE 7, 1883. The inscription surrounding the wreath but within a
circle of beads read PRESIDENT AMERICAN NUMISMATIC AND ARCHAE-
OLOGICAL SOCIETY 1869-1883.9
On Anthon's death, Daniel Parish, Jr., exercised the functions of the
Presidency by virtue of his office as First Vice-President for the re-
mainder of the year. In 1884, he was duly elected to that office in his
own right, and Andrew C. Zabriskie succeeded him as Vice-President.
Zabriskie himself, as we shall see, succeeded to the Presidency in 1896,
and held that office until 1905. This interval from the death of Anthon
until 1905 forms a distinct period in the history of the Society. It is
largely a time when the fruits of the previous decade were enjoyed, and
the position of the organization was consolidated and confirmed. There
was, of course, growth in the size and in the influence of the Society as
well as in its wealth, but there were no extraordinary gains of the type
made during Anthon's Presidency. Anthon's loss was felt very keenly;
104 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
he had served as more than a President to the organization, and in
large measure the astonishing growth of the Society during his tenure
of office was directly attributable to his own influence. President Par-
ish was not the least of those to recognize the tremendous task which
faced him in carrying on the office which had been so lamentably
vacated. In his very first Presidential Address on March 18, 1884,
Parish noted that though it was incumbent upon him to say something
"he could not be expected to present to the Society any address which
would meet their expectations and bear comparison with the able pro-
ductions of our late lamented President." He therefore confined himself
to a mere statement of a few facts of general interest to the members.
Anthon, however, had wrought well, and the momentum which he
had instilled into the activities of the Society continued to carry it
through the difficult period when Parish was grasping the reins for the
first time. The flourishing condition of the organization in 1884 could
easily be recognized.10 The Society planned a series of exhibitions of
its collection of British Museum electrotypes. In April 1884, this col-
lection was displayed for one week at the Lotus Club, for another
week at the Union League, and then at the New York Normal College,
and the College of the City of New York, before it was placed on view
for a longer period of time at the Cooper Institute.11 The local press
took notice of these exhibitions and in some cases described the objects
in detail. In January of the following year an exhibition was held by the
Boston Art Club, and the display of many of the electrotypes in the
possession of the Society was the subject of a long article in the Evening
Transcript of January 22nd.
These electrotypes had came into the possession of the Society in a
most interesting fashion. At the International Electrical Exhibition
held in Philadelphia in 1884, the Society had displayed some of the
electrotypes of the Greek and Roman series which it had already pur-
chased.12 At this same exhibition. Ready and Son, the electrotypists
of the British Museum, had set out a display of other coins and medals
prepared by them as samples of their workmanship. At the end of the
exhibition this particular display of the electrotypes of the British
Museum series was about to be withdrawn for return to Britain. It
came to the attention of Carlos Carranza, then Consul-General of the
1883-1905 105
Argentine Republic in New York, that this collection might be per-
manently lost to the nations of the American Hemisphere. With that
in mind Carranza purchased the British display in its entirety and
presented it to the Society with the understanding that it would be per-
manently used for loan purposes to schools and art groups seeking to
learn more about the subject of numismatics. As a result, this collection
began its circulating career and served, particularly during the years
1884-1885, to enlarge the influence of the Society.
At the same time the internal development of the Society was pro-
ceeding apace. On November 18, 1884, David L. Walter offered a
resolution stating "That a committee of three or more be appointed
by the President, to consider and report at a Special Meeting, to be
called to consider their report when ready: What steps, if any, should
be taken to increase the usefulness of the Society; induce the members
to attend the formal and informal meetings; make use of the Society's
library and room; facilitate literary and numismatic intercourse be-
tween the members, and generally to improve the Society and its aims,
and increase the results to be achieved by its efforts." This resolution
passed, and at a Special Meeting on December 11, 1884, the Commit-
tee composed of Walter, Dodd, Low, Sturgis, and Weeks presented
its report. They recommended that the Society's Rooms be opened
twice a month for informal meetings and that, in addition, a new
"Room Committee" composed of three members should make the
arrangements. This recommendation was accepted with the amend-
ment that the President should appoint such a Committee at each
annual meeting, and that its tenure should be one year. The Room
Committee, which consisted of David L. Walter, Lyman H. Low, and
Gaston L. Feuardent, immediately sent out a circular announcing its
first meeting. That gathering was held on January I4th of the follow-
ing year, and subsequent sessions were held frequently. Since the new
series of meetings were by design intended to be informal and devoted
solely to the study of numismatics, no business was transacted. In its
first report the Committee pointed to the astounding success which
attended their inception. It stated that it was pleased "to see members
who had not heretofore attended and in some instances those who have
rarely been present at our formal business meetings."13 They suggested
106 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
that the informal numismatic meetings should no longer be treated
as an experiment but rather as an "assured success." In accordance
with the suggestion made by the Committee in its first report, it was
decided that the papers presented at the informal meetings should be
published and that the meetings should be held with a frequency com-
mensurate with attendance. In 1885 ten papers were delivered before
the membership at these informal sessions, and before the Annual Meet-
ing of 1886 still another four had been added to the list. Unfortunately
there was no fund for the publication of these papers, and it was only
in the published version of the Proceedings of 1886 that an abstract of
the papers delivered in 1885 was to be found.14 Publication was there-
after quite regular.
By 1887 the Committee in its annual report said in part, "The Com-
mittee is, as it believes, justified in congratulating itself and the So-
ciety on the fact that not only have the numismatic meetings been regu-
larly held and attended for nearly three years, but that even during the
summer months it has been possible to hold semi-monthly re-unions
and to secure an attendance from among those of the members who
take an active and living interest in the affairs and welfare of the So-
ciety."15 Not only were these informal gatherings of great interest to
the members of the Society, but on occasion the local press reported
these meetings and the numismatic publications sometimes published
the papers that were delivered.16
The fact remains, however, that despite the early successes enjoyed
by the Room Committee, from 1889 onwards there was discernable a
decided slowing down of the activities of that group. In their reports,
of course, the Committee attributed this apparent lethargy to the fact
that the problem of changing the locale of the meetings was a constant
care. By 1893, however, the transfer of the Society from their rooms
on 2oth Street to the Academy of Medicine Building on 43rd Street
was completed, and in the new quarters which were decorated by a
large Persian rug and a President's chair given by Zabriskie, a dozen
new chairs and a step ladder given by John M. Dodd, Jr., and many
other new items, we find a revival of the informal meetings with better
attendance than ever before.17 Of course the papers which had been
presented continued to be published in the Proceedings of the Society.
1883-1905 107
By February 1893, a total of fifty meetings had been held under the
supervision of the Room Committee. In 1893, however, the authority
granted to the President to appoint a Room Committee annually was
rescinded after the passage of a resolution proposed by John M. Dodd,
Jr. According to that resolution the new standing committees of the
Society were to be a Library Committee, a Numismatic Committee,
and a Committee on Papers and Publications. This last committee was
to "arrange for the reading of papers before the Society, prepare the
publications of the Society, and correspond with other domestic and
foreign societies and individuals interested in Numismatics."18
The new committee promptly set to work improving the publications
and carrying on the work of the former Room Committee. In actual
fact its purpose was a simplification of the methods for conducting in-
formal meetings and for publications. Prior to 1893, at the end of each
annual meeting the Executive Committee had been allowed a certain
sum of money for the publication of the Proceedings of the meeting and
any other material that was considered proper. In May 1887, upon the
proposal of Wright, it was decided that two more members should be
appointed in addition to the Room Committee "to decide on papers
read at Numismatic meetings, which shall be printed with the Annual
Proceedings, and that they 'report' to the Executive committee." On
August 4th of the same year Betts proposed the further step that the
committee having charge of the publication of the Proceedings should
also publish a record of the Numismatic meetings, and this was adopted
by the Society. Thus it can be seen that there was one committee which
was charged with the supervision of the informal meetings and the
papers, and still another committee which was in charge of the papers
and the Proceedings. The responsibilities of the two committees were,
in some measure, in conflict. This, however, did not cause too much
difficulty because during the period 1888-1892 there were no issues of
the Procedings. In 1893, the Publication Committee was very active,
and the Proceedings for the last five annual meetings as well as Weeks'
History of the Society, the membership rolls, and the papers read before
the organization were published.19
From this point in^the history of the organization the number of
informal meetings fell off rather sharply. There were only two held in
108 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
1893 at which papers were delivered, two more in 1894, five in 1895
and three in 1896. The quality of the papers read to the Society, how-
ever, did not in any way decline.
In submitting his report in 1885, the Treasurer, Benjamin Betts,
noted that "for the first time in eleven years . . . the annual income
from all sources (was) somewhat in excess of ... fixed expenses."20
The next year showed an even pleasanter picture because of the Jay
B. Cornell bequest of $1,000. Cornell had been a member of the
Society since 1882, but apparently he did not take a very active part
in the affairs of the organization, and there was no reason to expect
such a large donation. Early in 1885, however, a letter was received
from John H. Boynton of a group known as the Bureau of Information
as to Legacies and Bequests, located at 23 Beaver Street, advising the
Society that a bequest had been left to it during the year 1884. Parti-
culars regarding that bequest could be obtained by a subcription to
the Bureau.21 The fee for this information was $25.00. Since the
bequest was stated to be $ 1 ,000 and a collection of coins, there was
no question of the value of the information. The will had been
probated in 1884, but the executor was a resident of Buffalo and had
not informed the Society of the windfall that had come its way.22
The letters which passed between the Society and Boynton show that
a high degree of caution was demonstrated. First the Society had to
be assured that the legacy was in excess of the sum demanded for the
information.23 Once such assurance was given the money was prompt-
ly paid, and action was immediately taken to recover this first sizeable
bequest. Horatio C. Harrower, who, it would seem, had been cur-
iously remiss, indicated his willingness to pay the sum. There was, of
course, the usual delay inherent in such matters, and, some natural show
of impatience on the part of some of the officers, but after much corres-
pondence the $1000 was paid and the 288 coins and medals delivered.24
Changes in the structure of the Society were made during the course
of the twenty year period covered in this chapter. At the very beginning
two new departments were created. Two new offices, a Curator of
Archaeology and an Historiographer, were filled at every annual meet-
ing until the adoption of a new Constitution in 1894. The first of these
offices proved to be a sinecure. Men such as De Morgan and Feuardent
1883-1905 ICQ
at one time held the post, but very few reports were ever submitted and
almost all decried the lack of interest in that branch of the work of the
organization. In several of the reports the fact is plainly stated that
there were no accessions for some years. In 1892 Herbert Valentine,
then Curator of Archaeology, summed up the situation very concisely:
It is greatly to be regretted that the Archaeological Department of this Society
has been so little cultivated. Although in its certificate of incorporation one of the
objects of the Society is stated to be 'the collection, examination, and elucidation of
the antiquities of this and other countries,' it was not until 1884 that the office which
I now hold was created, and its duties separated from those of the Curator of Numis-
matics. Strangely enough, the members of this Society seem almost exclusively de-
voted to coins. Yet it is an undoubted fact that popular interest in archaeology is
more widely diffused than it is in the study of numismatics. In regard to our col-
lection of archaeological objects it is hardly necessary to speak, because, besides a
few flint implements and pieces of pottery, there is little worth mentioning. While
our cabinets, during the past five years, have received valuable donations of coins,
and many interesting books have been added to the Library, the archaeological
property of the Society has remained, and is to-day, practically in the same con-
dition in which it was five years ago. Of course, want of proper accommodation for
the display of specimens is largely responsible for this state of things. Let us hope that
when we take possession of our new quarters in the N. Y. Academy of Medicine
building, there will be a change for the better. I recommend that the papers to be
read before the Society shall more frequently be of an archaeological character, and
that more attention be paid by members to the placing in our Library of the prin-
cipal works on archaeology.25
The hopes expressed by Valentine were not rewarded in fact, and, by
1894, the decision was taken to discontinue the department.
In the case of the Historiographer the history of the office is not
quite the same. It was also instituted as an elective post in 1884, but
throughout the entire period of its existence there were annual reports
of some length prepared by the incumbents. In substance, most of the
work of the Historiographer lay in preparing obituary notices for the
deceased members of the Society, but it is worth noting that in 1892,
when William R. Weeks held the post, a short summary of the history
of the organization was prepared. Even at its apogee in 1892, when the
History of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society was published
with the Proceedings, the office was still the least important of the elec-
110 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
tive posts in order of listing. Therefore in 1894, when the post was
abolished as an elective office, it was continued as an appointive one
to prepare obituary notices. Reports continued to be submitted by the
various holders of the title until 1905 with, of course, some gaps when
there was no one appointed to carry on the work.
With the growth of the Society which was mirrored in the increas-
ing number of members and the greater value of the collections and
library, the ever recurring problem of suitable quarters once more
came to the fore. The rooms at New York University could not serve
the purpose. As a result, within five years of the time when the Society
took up quarters at that location, members were again looking for
better rooms. In 1887, at the suggestion of Lyman H. Low, a committee
composed of Low, Poillon, Dodd, and Drowne was appointed to in-
vestigate the possibility of securing more suitable quarters. It was
apparently well along in the following year before any concrete steps
were taken. In February and March of 1888 there had been some ex-
ploratory correspondence with the Grolier Club, which, founded four
years earlier, was devoted to the arts of book-making and book collect-
ing; nothing came of this, however, other than the passage of a resolution
by the Society stating that it was"desirous of securing suitable quarters
in a specially constructed building, and that the Executive Committee
(was) authorized to lease suitable quarters, in such a building at an
annual rental not to exceed four hundred dollars."26 At that time the
Society still held an option on its quarters in Room 25 of the New York
University Building, and it was decided to continue there for another
year, since there was no possibility of an immediate new location.
Later in the year, however, the same subject came up for discussion
once again when the Committee, which had apparently been inactive,
was reminded that the Society still hoped to hear from them. At
Weeks' suggestion, it was decided to call the attention of the members
generally to the problem by a circular, and to elicit their opinions.
The nearly fifty replies which were received by January 15th of the
following year were almost uniformly in favor of a change in location.
At the Annual Meeting on March 19, 1889, Low reported on behalf of
the Committee, that they had met on three separate occasions and had
looked at various rooms located between 17th and 48th Streets. From
1883-1905 111
their investigations it seemed obvious that no suitable change could be
made unless the sum of $750 were allotted annually for rent. For that
figure two possible locations were suggested.27
The members of the Committee on New Quarters for the year 1889
were changed. It was now composed of Low, Dodd, Wilson, and
Gregory.28 Low, as Chairman, reported on June 6th that new quarters
had been secured at 101 East 2oth Street at the corner of 4th Avenue.
These new quarters consisted of two rooms on the second floor and the
rent was payable in advance of the month. By November the move was
completed, and all seemed satisfactory.
Two years later in 1891 while the Society was still located at its new
quarters on 2oth Street, the officers engaged in a rather amusing dis-
pute with their landlady, Mrs. Graham. It would seem that some
doctors had also become tenants in the same building, and they had
begun a rather surprising advertising campaign by placing signs be-
tween the windows on the front of the building on Fourth Avenue as
well as on the 2oth Street side. Here, however, there was some diffi-
culty because the windows surrounding their signs belonged to the
American Numismatic and Archaeological Society. Consequently
this became a topic for discussion at the Annual Meeting on March 16,
1891.29 Drowne, as Corresponding Secretary, was requested to write
to Mrs. Graham, which he promptly did in most emphatic terms:
At the Annual Meeting of this Society held March 16th 1891 it was duly moved
and seconded that the secretary be authorized to communicate with you and request
that the sign which has been placed between our front windows, by other parties oc-
cupying your building, be removed at once.
Your immediate attention, will oblige.30
This letter did result in the immediate removal of the sign on the Fourth
Avenue side, but the other eyesore remained and in April Drowne was
addressing Mrs. Graham once again:
On March 17th 1891 we wrote you requesting that the signs on our premises be
removed at once. Going to the rooms recently writer notices that the sign between
our front windows has been removed, but there still remains a large sign between our
windows on 20th St.
We must insist on the removal of the sign from our premises and trust you will
give this matter prompt attention.31
112 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
Eliza Graham, a figure who might almost be drawn from a Shavian
comedy in this context, was duly chastened and answered two days
later in a humble toned letter of her own:
I have received your letter today. I have not forgotten about your sign, I spoke
to the Doctors some time ago that their second sign, on 20th St. would have to be
removed, so now they are leaving me. I expect their things to be all taken away
tomorrow if possible, as I would not in any way do anything contrary to the wishes
of your society, as I have always been very proud of having such gentlemen in the
house.
I have thought that the society would oblige me by letting me have the use of the
water in the hall, as without it, it is hard to let the Doctors rooms, would you oblige
me by letting me have it? I would esteem it a very great favor and you can rely on
my promise that your premises shall not be interfered with in any way.
Very respectfully,
Eliza Graham32
Browne as Secretary was called upon to answer this humble letter, and
he did so in the most imperious tones while castigating the petitioner
at the same time in the matter of the signs:
Your letter of April 29th has been duly received. We were very much surprised
that you allowed the signs to be put up on our premises. As regards the use of our hall
I have no authority to act in this matter, and after the great loss we have subjected
to in your hands dare not do so.
I will have your letters read at the next meeting of the Executive Commitee and
will then advise you.33
As could easily be foreseen the Executive Committee found "it im-
possible to comply with (Mrs. Graham's) request."34
During the very course of the dispute with Mrs. Graham, which
must have served as a variety of comic relief for the more important
problems facing the Society, Andrew C. Zabriskie proposed that since
the organization was growing in resources a committee of five should be
appointed to solicit subscriptions towards the purchase of a suitable
building. Zabriskie also offered to head the subscription list by a con-
tribution of ^ooo.35 The proposal was unanimously adopted, and led
to the appointment of such a committee by Parish. The newspapers
quickly picked up this interesting turn of events, and short articles
New York University, Washington Square
Twenty-first Street and Fourth Avenue (The Society met in the corner building)
Medal Struck in Honor of Charles E. Anthon
Lea Ahlborn
Lyrnan H. Low
1883-1905 113
appeared in the New York Times of April 7th and the New York Tribune
of April 14th. With a start of a contribution of $5,000 and good publi-
city in the local press there was every reason to expect success. A
second subscription for still another $5,000 was rapidly forthcoming, but
within the year only $2,810 was subscribed from all other sources.
Since the Committee estimated its needs at $40,000 there was a great
gap between the ideal and reality. The answers received to requests to
subscribe were almost uniformly in the negative, if we may judge from
the extant correspondence.36 As a result the Committee itself was
somewhat disheartened, and in its report stated that the sum pledged
was "too small to warrant going further in the matter and indicates
that the plan as undertaken in its present form has proved a failure."37
The members of the Committee, Zabriskie, Poillon, Pryer, Valentine,
Drowne, and Parish requested that they be discharged as a committee,
but they also suggested that the Society "keep the matter under con-
sideration and at some future time take it up on a new basis and carry
it to a more successful issue."
The Executive Committee Report for the year 1892 bore the stamp
of the feeling of disappointment which the Building Fund Committee
had felt. This, of course, is not too surprising, since six of the ten mem-
bers of the Executive Committee were also members of the Building
Fund Committee.38
At the same time that plans for the purchase of a building devoted
to the Society were being laid, a proposal for a joint purchase of a build-
ing was received from the New York Genealogical and Biographical
Society.39 From the form of the proposal it was quite obvious that the
Genealogical and Biographical Society was uncertain about its own
future and merely suggested discussions. Nothing came of the idea,
and the problem of new quarters, which arose periodically in the
history of the Society from its inception, remained. Finally a special
meeting of the Society was called for February 23, 1892, and at Parish's
suggestion the notices for that meeting contained specific reference to
the subject.40 At this meeting a new report was requested from the
Committee, and Zabriskie, as Chairman, reported that a number of
buildings had been investigated. The best site in the eyes of the Com-
mittee was in the Academy of Medicine Building at 17 West 43rd
114 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
Street. This building was really quite modern in that it was fire-proof,
imposing in appearance, and contained lecture rooms which might
be rented for moderate prices when the occasion required, but above
all it had an elevator. It was possible to rent a room in that building
for $50.00 per month including heat, light, and attendance. This
obviously fulfilled all the expectations of the Society and the Committee
was authorized to rent the room and make all necessary arrangements.41
Contributions were made toward the expenses of moving and some
few arrangements with the Academy of Medicine were completed
before all was ready for the transfer.42 The final step was taken after
the Annual Meeting of 1892, and it must have come as a blow to poor
Eliza Graham, who just the previous year had been so diligent about
pleasing the members of the Society.
During this same period a number of other proposals had been put
forward to solve the perennial problem of location, but none of them
were accepted.43 There was, for instance, the suggestion of an alliance
of the various scientific societies which was apparently backed by
certain members of the University Club.44 Parish exercised good
judgment when he pointed out that "the American Numismatic &
Archaeological Society has now a good foothold and has sufficient
room to grow in without asking favors from anybody, and as every
year rolls by it is likely to grow stronger than the year before. As it is
now situated I do not think that a slow growth of members is any
disadvantage provided we get the right ones who do not join for the
name of it but because they are interested in our pursuits, otherwise
they might be a drawback instead of a help." The invitation to join the
Alliance of New York Scientific Societies was not a formal one, as
Parish properly noted, and arrangements concerning the rights and
duties of the various societies which were to be members had not been
settled.45 The decision to remain aloof certainly seems to have been a
wise one under the circumstances.
The idea of such mergers of societies with common interests, how-
ever, was a very intriguing one, and in 1895 it came up once again in
connection with the New York Genealogical and Biographical So-
ciety. This proposal envisioned the formation of a new organization
which might be called the "Antiquarian Society" and which would
1883-1905 115
have sections devoted to Archaeology, Biography, Ethnology, Gene-
alogy, Local History, and Numismatics. The supposed sections would
each have a vice-president and hold separate meetings. They would be
represented in the larger unit by delegates.46 This idea, however, also
seems to have been rejected, but relations with the Genealogical and
Biographical Society remained very friendly for in 1897 a new offer of
rooms in their building was made.47 Once again the offer was not ac-
cepted.
At the turn of the century the primary problem of suitable quarters
for the Society had not been solved. There were only two possible final
answers. Either the Society had to acquire a permanent building of its
own or it had to merge with another group which could offer proper
rooms. As long as the Society continued to be a tenant organization
there were bound to be incidents of an unpleasant nature.48 The
problem reached a critical point in 1901 when Dr. Sayre, Treasurer of
the Academy of Medicine, informed the Society that a move was
necessary. Andrew C. Zabriskie who had become President in 1896,
faced the situation boldly, but the only decision that could be taken
was that the Executive Committee should once again look for new
rooms.49 At the same time a Committee consisting of Valentine and
Drowne was appointed to approach Dr. Sayre about the possibility of
retaining the room for one more year. This resulted in failure because
of the legal complications which might ensue for the Academy of
Medicine.50 Other sites such as the Mechanical Engineers Building
on 31st Street and the Mechanics and Tradesmens Society on 44th
Street were surveyed, but nothing that exactly fitted the requirements
of the Society was found. Finally accommodations were secured at the
Union Dime Savings Bank, 1271 Broadway, where the first meeting
was held on April 24th.51 This was a special meeting called for the
express purpose of showing the members the new rooms. In intro-
ducing the Society to its new quarters at Broadway and Thirty-second
Street the Executive Committee reported, "These rooms give what has
long been neededample space for the arrangement and display of the
Society's library and collections. There has not, so far, been time to get
everything in order, but you can see, by what has already been done
in that direction, that the rooms are very well suited to the Society's
8*
116 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
needs." Andrew C. Zabriskie, in his Presidential Address on January
19, 1903, surveyed the move and its effects in greater detail:
We face each other to-night, however, in a very different location from the one
which we occupied at our last meeting, and which had been our pleasant home for
ten years. The decision of the Academy of Medicine, that our room was needed for
its own institution, was not an agreeable announcement. While it had been apparent
to those most interested in the welfare of the Society that we were fast outgrowing
our accommodations in the Academy of Medicine Building, yet it was felt that the
time was not ripe to move.
In that pleasant sky parlor, the Society had gradually increased in strength and
financial resources. We went there with barely one hundred members; we left there
with twice that number; we went there virtually bankrupt, with an income barely
sufficient to pay half our yearly rent, and meet our other modest bills, the other
half of our yearly rent being met by the generosity of one of our members; we left
there with an income sufficient not only to pay the rent, but large enough to meet
other outlays in printing, etc., which would have been thought, and very justly,
wildly extravagant some years ago.
Unfortunately, however, the move which we have made has doubled our rent,
and the surplus with which the year began has been wiped out. The rooms in which
we find ourselves tonight, although apparently the most desirable of those available
last spring, cannot be considered in any way permanent. Nor is it desirable that
they should be so considered. The quiet and repose which should surround the
quarters of a learned society are not to be had here. It behooves us then to look well
into the future and prepare ourselves in ample time for another move to a location
more in harmony with our aims and inclinations, and where our superb collection
of coins and medals, together with our exceptionally complete and valuable numis-
matic Library, may be safely housed.62
President Zabriskie probably took a harsher view of the situation
of the Society than was warranted. The Treasurer's Report for the year
1903 is not quite as gruesome as we might be led to believe from Zabris-
kie's statements. After all expenses were paid for the year there re-
mained a balance of $496.94, and the Society had permanent funds
invested which amounted to $9,821.25, while even its activities in
running a School for Coin and Medal Designing ended the year with
a balance on hand of $675.14.53 The Society's financial resources, as
compared with the previous year had been somewhat reduced, but its
condition was still eminently healthy. Financial stability was not the
real difficulty; it was rather the fact that President Zabriskie had re-
Academy of Medicine17 West 43rd Street
William R. Weeks
Henry Russell Drowne
Charles G. Dock!
Andrew C. Zabriskie
President 1896 1905
George Albert Zabriskie
1883-1905 I17
cognized in his address that the change to the new quarters was only
a temporary measure and a more realistic solution remained to be
found. Zabriskie had not always opposed the idea of a separate build-
ing owned and controlled by the Society. In his Presidential Address
in 1898, however, he had said, "I desire to place on record my own
conviction that our Society is in no need of its own building We are
not a Club, but a Society, and can it seems to me pursue our path
better, housed under the roof of this learned body, the New York Aca-
demy of Medicine, than if we were troubled or harassed by the cares
or anxieties attendant upon the possession of a building of our own."54
In the following year President Zabriskie's Address contained a con-
crete plan for assuring for the future of the Society:
We live in the era of consolidation and solidification. We see it in all business
affairs, and we have a notable example of it in the superb Consolidated Library
soon to be erected upon the Tilden, Astor, and Lenox foundations. Gould not the
method be pursued in caring for the learned societies of New York? Why cannot the
splendid site owned by the New-York Historical Society on Central Park West be
covered by a building giving accomodations to, besides itself, the American Geo-
graphical Society, the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, and the
Genealogical Society? It is a broad idea well worthy of consideration. I am fully
aware that countless objections will be raised, but nevertheless, mark my words,
such a result, appealing as it does to the sound judgement of business men, is likely
to find favor.
By 1903 Zabriskie's position had not changed, but he was now
actively working towards achieving the goals that he had set forth in
his earlier speech. He began to formulate precise plans, and in 1903 he
said:
To secure the proper preservation of what we have, as well as to encourage
additional gifts in the future, it is clear to me that the proper place for our collection
is within fireproof walls, guarded by watchmen, and where the public may have
an opportunity of seeing and enjoying our numismatic treasure. If such accommo-
dation could be secured within the Metropolitan Museum of Art, or the New Public
Library, the Society, released from the burden of rent, could afford to employ a
suitable person to take charge of the collections and conduct the clerical work of the
Society. If additional arrangements could be made to use a hall or room for the
stated meetings of the Society, nothing further could be desired, and a career of
118 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
usefulness would open up to us far greater than can easily be measured at the present
time.
The individuality of the Society should not be disturbed; we are an incorporated
body authorized to hold property and do so hold invested funds to the amount of
$10,000.
To-night there is a large and representative attendance of members present. I
trust before this Society adjourns a resolution will prevail endorsing the views which
I have endeavored to convey to you here, and calling for the appointment of a com-
mittee to open negotiations looking to the active carrying out of the scheme I have
outlined.65
Herman C. von Post was not slow to take the broad hint given by the
President and he proposed that "that portion of the President's Address
that relates to the proper accommodation and preservation of the
collections of this Society be referred to a special committee of seven
members, of which the President shall be chairman, and that said
committee shall report at a subsequent meeting of the Society."56 This
motion was carried unanimously.
During the course of the next year this committee held several meet-
ings, but, understandably enough in view of the chairmanship of
Zabriskie, it arrived at the conclusion quite "early in its deliberations
that no proper fireproof accommodations could be secured, indepen-
dently, for this Society with the means at its command, and conse-
quently your Committee turned its attention to the possibility of se-
curing accommodations within the walls of buildings of other insti-
tutions of somewhat similar character."57 If that was so, the only so-
lution lay in a merger of the Society into another group. The terms of
that merger are so vital to an understanding of the rift that developed
within the Society because of them that they should be quoted in full:
For some time, in conjunction with a committee of the New-York Historical
Society, your Committee has been considering the subject of a merger, or consoli-
dation, of this Society with the New-York Historical Society. The interests of that
Society are in many respects similar to those of this Society, and it possesses a col-
lection of coins and medals, and has archaeological collections of considerable value.
In these discussions it has been proposed to hold intact the invested securities of
the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, and to use the income for
the purchase of coins and medals and numismatic and archaeological books.
1883-1905 IIQ
The collections of this Society would be kept on permanent exhibition under the
care of a suitable person, in cases properly arranged and so marked by tablet or
otherwise as to indicate that they were derived from this Society.
A special section devoted to numismatics and archaeology, might be established
as a department of the New-York Historical Society, by whom the work of the Society
could be carried on without any break in its continuity.
Any legacies, which may be left to the American Numismatic and Archaeological
Society, would be received by its successor, the New-York Historical Society, in-
vested in suitable securities and the income used for numismatic and archaeological
purposes.
The present honorary and active members of this Society would become like
members of the New-York Historical Society. The dues derived from those active
members who are not life members would be used by the New-York Historical
Society for its general purposes. The admirable situation of the site and the fireproof
character of the building which the New-York Historical Society is erecting, render,
in the opinion of your Committee, the union of the two greatly to be desired.
This Committee, therefore, unanimously recommends that this Society be con-
solidated with the New-York Historical Society upon such terms and at such time
as may be advised by the counsel of the two societies, and that suitable power be
given to a special committee to be appointed for the purpose of carrying out a plan
of consolidation.88
From the composition of the Committee, Andrew C. Zabriskie,
Edward D. Adams, Alfred J. Bloor, M. Taylor Pyne, John L. Riker,
Herman C. von Post, and George Zabriskie, it is quite evident that
President Zabriskie had very effective control over its deliberations.
Only Alfred Bloor had ever held an elective office in the Society, and
that was as Recording Secretary for the years 1903 and 1904. Three
of the members of the Committee, Riker, Post, and George Zabriskie,
had never held any committee posts or any office at all. Zabriskie pro-
posed, in fact, to bury the Society as effectively as the New York
Numismatic Society had been buried. Within the New-York Historical
Society the small group of numismatists could have been absorbed
without so much as a ripple. This is perhaps best illustrated by the
fact that no mention is made of this plan for merger in the sesquicen-
tennial history of the New-York Historical Society.59
In his Presidential Address at the Annual Meeting of 1904 at which
the report of the Committee was presented, Zabriskie devoted almost
120 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
the entire speech to supporting the proposal. In one section of that
address he said:
My membership in this Society dates back over thirty years, and during over
twenty years of this time I have had the honor to serve its interests as an officer, first
as Vice-President and then as President. Purely from a sentimental point of view,
the consolidation or amalgamation proposed, causes in me, as doubtless it does in
all the older members, a feeling of sadness. But we must not yield to sentiment. The
fact remains that there are too many small societies in existence to-day, many kept
alive by the vanity of their officers. I think I can speak for my dear friends, the board
of officers of this Society, as well as for myself, when I say that we willingly step down
from our positions, and advance the cause of numismatics and archaeology.60
Alfred Bloor then rose and after re-reading the portion of the Com-
mittee's report containing the recommendation moved "That this
Society be consolidated with the New-York Historical Society upon
such terms and at such time as may be advised by the counsel of the
two societies, and that suitable power be given to a special committee
to be appointed for the purpose of carrying out a plan of consoli-
dation."61 There was full opportunity for debate on this crucial step,
with Drowne, Valentine, Groh, Parish, Low, Hewitt, Adams, and
Hoffman taking the floor. Even with Zabriskie's support, however,
the matter could not be settled. The minutes of that meeting show that
there were 205 active members on the rolls at the time, but the reso-
lution, which was nothing more than a restatement of the substantive
part of the Committee report, carried by only 28 ayes to 15 nays. This
could not be the final decision. Zabriskie, however, appointed the
members of the old Committee to be the new Committee on Consoli-
dation with the New-York Historical Society.
On May 16th the Joint Committee of the two societies submitted a
letter together with a copy of the agreement relating to the merger.
Both were read and presented for action. Olyphant rose to recommend
that debate on the question be limited to one and a half hours, but this
attempt at cloture failed. Hewitt suggested that speakers be limited to
five minutes with the added provision that each should speak only
once. Again the motion failed to pass. A lengthy discussion ensued in
which Backus, Beekman, Parish, Weeks, Woolf, and George Zabriskie
participated. It was plain that the membership was not quite ready
1883-1905 121
for the interment of what they felt was a vital body. Finally, Bloor
took the floor and moved "That in the interests of harmony and, in the
end, of justice to both this Society and the New-York Historical So-
ciety, it is moved that the question of consolidation be laid on the table
until the next regular meeting of this Society in November." Professor
Woolf, Anthon's old colleague, tried to amend this resolution to read
"That the matter be laid on the table until the New-York Historical
Society had provided quarters for this Society in their new building."
This amendment failed by a vote of 94 nays to 70 ayes, but it is a
measure of the significance of the problem that for the first time the
chair had been forced to appoint tellers in the persons of Belden and
Hewitt because of the number of proxies used in voting. Bloor's original
motion was now re-read and carried unanimously.
On November 10th a long article appeared in the New York Herald
under the headline "MERGER SPLITS THE NUMISMATISTS," with smaller
headlines reading "Proposal to unite This Organization and the
Historical Society Is Resented by Many Members" and "Charge
Sharp Practices." The final headline read "Troubles Will Be
Brought to Culmination at Society's Next Meeting on November
21." The newspaper article then pointed out that the movement for the
merger had been started by Zabriskie. Since the Society included many
prominent people the problem had to be taken seriously. Among the
names listed were Edward D. Adams, Frederic J. de Peyster, John
Watts de Peyster, William E. Dodge, George J. Gould, John Aspinwall
Hadden, H. O. Havemeyer, Cyrus J. Lawrence, Richard Hoe Law-
rence, Charles S. Mellen, Moses Taylor Pyne, Augustus St. Gaudens,
William Rhinelander Stewart and William K. Vanderbilt. The
opposition to the merger had circulated a petition charging that those
favoring the move had used questionable practices to achieve their end
while the Society was financially quite sound, and that an attempt had
been made at the May meeting to "railroad" the merger through.
There were actually two forms of petition circulated. The more violent
one went to those who were known to be opposed to the merger while
the softer version went to the others. Among those opposed were Parish,
Belden, Betts, Dodd, Gregory, Low, Poillon, and Weeks. It was further
alleged that those who favored the merger were not the active numis-
122 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
ma lists but only a small splinter of the membership. The version sent to
the members of the opposition were said to contain the proxies which
were mentioned in the minutes of the meeting of May 16th. At that
meeting Gerard Beekman, Jr., who had previously given his proxy to
President Zabriskie, took the floor and recorded his opposition to the
merger on the grounds that the members of the Society should consider
themselves in the light of trustees for the collections and other properties.
This was, of course, taken as a great victory for the opposition. Weeks
and Professor Woolf viewed the suggested merger as the "Lying down
together of the lion and the lambwith the lamb inside." The oppo-
sition stressed the fact that the only requirement placed upon the
Historical Society was to "mark the collection by tablet or otherwise,
after which it could use the permanent funds of the Numismatic So-
ciety for building or any other purpose."
After all that had preceded it, the meeting of November 21st was
somewhat anticlimactic. Weeks called for the resolution to be taken
from the table. That was approved. He then called for a vote. There
was some discussion, a call of the roll of the members present, and it
was rejected by a vote of all present except Harry M. Hewitt who de-
clined to vote. J. Otis Woodward then moved:
That while this Society declines to approve the action of the joint committee
appointed by this Society and by the Executive Committee of the New-York Historical
Society recommending the merger of this Society into and its consolidation with the
Historical Society, it is the sense of this Society that we tender to the Historical
Society our good will and hearty co-operation in all matters in which the interests of
the two Societies are akin: that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Executive
Committee of the Historical Society; and that the Committee appointed by this
Society to confer upon the question be discharged with thanks.
A letter to that effect was sent to the New-York Historical Society,
and its receipt was acknowledged.
The crisis in the affairs of the Society had been successfully passed.
By the summer of 1905 when Belden wrote to Moses Taylor Pyne
about the general situation he said in part:
Replying to your favor of the 8th inst. would say that the question of amalga-
mation with the New-York Historical Society, after various delays, was brought
1883-1905 123
to vote on November 21st last and defeated. I enclose a copy of the resolution that
was passed on that occasion. I mailed a copy of this resolution to each member of
the Society some time ago, the copy sent you must have gone astray as I went over
the list carefully.
Since this question has been settled and out of the way, the Society has been
making most satisfactory progress, and is now in a better condition than ever before.
Since the first of the year 43 new members have been elected making the member-
ship roll considerably larger than at any time in the Society's history, over $1,000
has been added to the permanent funds by the election of life members and nearly
1500 coins and medals, many of which are most valuable, have been added to our
collection. The members generally seem to be taking a more active interest in the
Society and the Executive Committee is greatly pleased and encouraged by the way
things are going. If the Society continues to gain, as it has in the past few months, it
will soon be in a most independent position and able to do better work than in the
past.
The difficulties inherent in the lack of a permanent meeting place
do not seem to have hampered the activities of the Society though it
was necessarily an inconvenience. As early as 1884, when the offices of
Curator of Archaeology and Historiographer were added, it was pro-
posed that there should be one Vice-President elected "for each fifty
Resident Members or parts thereof." This resolution was passed with-
out any difficulty. At the time this did not increase the number of Vice-
Presidents over the three which were assigned in the last version of the
Constitution. In the next year, on the motion of David L. Walter,
it was decided that instead of a nominating committee all nominations
for elective offices should be made viva voce at the annual meeting.
Obviously this change was designed to give a greater base for the ex-
pression of popular feeling.62
By 1887 the size of the Society had increased to 171 Resident Mem-
bers which necessitated the election of a Fourth Vice-President. This
office was held for three years by David L. Walter. He, having been
elected Third Vice-President, was in turn succeeded in 1880 by James
Oliver. Walter, a prominent attorney in this city, had served the So-
ciety in many important ways, and it was at his suggestion that the
informal meetings of the Society were begun; he read several papers at
those meetings. It was Walter, at the risk of a certain amount of un-
popularity among the other officers, who proposed that nominations
124 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
be made viva wee. His untimely death on June 28, 1892, after a brief
illness, was a real loss to the organization. William R. Weeks, the
Historiographer, wrote in the obituary announcement, "If each and
every member of the Society had done as much as he to increase its
usefulness, the Society would be a power for good, and its membership
would compel us to 'tear down our barns and build greater.'"63
Other changes regarding fees and types of membership or meeting
dates were made in the Constitution and By-Laws of the Society. In
1891 the number of Resident Members fell to 140, eliminating one of
the Vice Presidents. It did not rise above 148 during the years prior
to 1894 when the new constitution was adopted so that, in effect, the
office was eliminated. The number of such changes gradually accu-
mulated to a point where it became more reasonable to revise the
entire Constitution and By-Laws rather than to carry on in a make-
shift fashion. The new Constitution of 1894 was very carefully prepared.
All the amendments made up te 1884 had previoulsy been incorpo-
rated into a published version which served as the working copy. The
proposed revisions of the Constitution and By-Laws were published
by the Committee conjointly with an amended text prior to the Annual
Meeting of 1894. There does not appear to have been any substantial
disagreement about the new Constitution, and it was quickly approved.
The actual text was not published, however, before 1896, by which
time still other amendments were simply included in place of the
original version. By 1901 the number of amendments made it neces-
sary that these be printed under separate cover.64
Daniel Parish, Jr., led the Society through this period of change in
its Constitution. Though the impressive strides that had been made
during the leadership of President Anthon were not repeated, still
there was a great deal of activity in various fields. This was done despite
the fact that illness in 1889 caused Parish to consider very seriously the
possibility of resigning his responsibilities.65 In a letter of that year he
wrote:
I regret to say that my health is not sufficiently restored to enable me to go out
at night or to give any idea when I can do so. In fact my own lack of strength is such
at present as to make it almost impossible to ask the doctor when I am likely to do
it. Still I am going on very well in the house, but my efforts out of doors are limited to
Union Dime Savings Bank
(View from Thirty-third Street "L" station, looking south)
Washington Centennial Medal
Medal in Honor of Daniel Parish, Jr.
Daniel Parish, Jr., President 1883-1896
Charles Gregory
1883-1905 125
about two hours a day when I must keep in the open air as much as possible or else
I will feel the effects. I am sorry this is so as I long to be able to go about as formerly,
but on the other hand it might easily be worse as I have heard of one case where it
is feared that the patient will never be himself again and two others have sailed for
Europe, one if not both to be under medical advice that there was no recovery for
them here. Fortunately I am exempt from anything of that kind, and as I hope to
stay so, and as I feel there are prospects of my being not only in better health but
stronger than ever I was before, I must make haste slowly. Now having said all this
the thought will immediately occur to you that of course it will be impossible for
me to be at the Annual Meeting which is a matter of course though it is only within
a week or so that it has seemed certain. Now this being the case it seems rather
absurd for the Society to reelect me as President when circumstances have prevented
my being present for so long a time. Hence I hope you will recall the conversation we
had in January, and if anyone wishes to know how I regard the matter you can say
that I think it would be best for the Society to elect someone else as President as it is
not only fair that everyone should have a chance but those who are absent from any
cause whatsoever especially after they have had their turn as I have. Meanwhile do
not let it be thought for a moment that I am at all discontented or weary of the
position as I think the prospects of the Society attaining an influential position in the
community were never brighter than they are now. It will take a few years of patient
steady effort on the part of every member not only to hold what we have, but to
attain further results. So I hope you will now fully understand what is to be done and
will call the meeting of the Executive Committee without regard to me.
At the Annual Meeting of 1889 the Presidential Address was delivered
by Andrew C. Zabriskie, but the Society re-elected Parish as its head.
It was a move fully justified by the later course of events. At that time
particular mention was made of the fact that the President had con-
tributed the Richard Hoe Lawrence collection of books on the coinage
of ancient Rome. A special resolution thanking Parish was passed. This
collection numbered over 100 volumes, and its addition to the library
was significant. The Executive Committee stated that as of that date
the library in the Society's possession was "second to none in the
country." The Librarian reported, "It is a conservative statement to
assert that our collection of books, treating upon the subject of numis-
matics, exceeds all others in this country, both private and public."
This position of eminence the organization has continued to maintain
to the present day.
Daniel Parish's efforts on behalf of the Society deserved recognition,
and an appropriate means of expressing the affection felt for him was
126 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
found. In 1890 a medal was struck in his honor from a model prepared
by Lea Ahlborn. It is a beautifully designed piece with an inscription
on the reverse which reads, FROM HIS FELLOW-NUMISMATISTS IN
GRATEFUL RECOGNITION OF HIS ZEAL FOR AND DEVOTION TO THE
SCIENCE.66 This was in the sixth year of his Presidency. Charles
Gregory made the presentation at a special meeting called for that
purpose on June 12, 1890, and at the Annual Meeting of that year
he and four other donors gave the large electrotype plaque, from
which the original design for the medal had been taken, and the can-
celled dies.67
By 1892 the Society had attained a position of importance in the
world of scholarship. Extracts from the minutes of its meetings were
appearing with frequency in The American Journal of Numismatics, The
Collector, The New Amsterdam Gazette, The Numismatist, and even abroad
in the British publications Numismatology and Spink's Numismatic Month-
ly. It was only fitting and proper that the organization should take
cognizance of the four hundredth anniversary of the discovery of
America by Columbus. The Societa Geografica Italiana of Rome in-
formed the Society that the Royal Committee entrusted with celebrat-
ing the event was collecting in a special monograph descriptions of all
the coins and medals issued in honor of the discoverer. They requested
aid from the American group. Of course the Society co-operated by
soliciting all information available from its members, but only the
President was aware of any. Parish, in his usual unassuming fashion,
donated a Columbus medal to the Society, and a description of that
medal was forwarded to Rome.
At the same time a great Columbian Exposition was to be held in
New York and to culminate in Chicago at the World's Fair. A commit-
tee consisting of Wright, Zabriskie, and Parish was appointed to make
arrangements for the participation of the Society in the World's Fair.
Ambitious plans were formulated involving a fine display and an expert
to explain it to the visitors. Unfortunately, the space finally allotted to the
Society would not have been large enough to accommodate the ex-
hibition, and the dilatory tactics of the managers of the World's Fair
occasioned some misgivings about the entire enterprise. The offer to
present such an exhibition was therefore withdrawn. This caused
1883-1905 127
some anxiety among the organizers of the New York State Exhibit at
the Fair; L. M. Howland, the General Manager, made a vain per-
sonal appeal for participation.68 The Society had decided to hold a
Columbian Exhibition of its own in its quarters at the Academy of
Medicine.69 A total of 122 coins and medals were displayed, and a short
brochure about them was published.70 The affair was a complete
success, for it was recorded in the minutes that nearly 800 people at-
tended. In its final report the Committee of Arrangements spoke of
the "crowded rooms" and the "evident interest evinced by visitors and
members alike."71
George F. Kunz, who joined the organization at the beginning of
1893, became particularly active in the Society at this time. Kunz had
many fields of interest including geology, mineralogy, and numis-
matics. A native New Yorker, he had written many fine works on gems
and represented this country at various expositions abroad. He was a
Vice-President and the leading gem expert of Tiffany & Co.72 A special
vote of thanks was given to Kunz by the Society for his successful ex-
ertions in securing copies of all the medals struck for the World's Fair
or Columbian Exposition.73 The Society itself was among the bodies
which struck such a piece to commemorate the discovery of America.
At the meeting of January 16, 1893, a resolution was passed for that
purpose enabling the President to appoint a committee of three "to
present the resolution to Tiffany & Co. with power to act as the re-
presentatives of the Society." Work progressed very rapidly, so that
two months later the Committee could report that a number of Colum-
bus portraits had been secured and the designers were at work.74 By
November 1893, the medal had been issued, and three copies were sent
to the Society.75
Medallic art includes the subject of coin design, and the Society
took an active part in the attempt to improve American coinage from
the artistic point of view. George F. Kunz, as early as November 1893,
had proposed a resolution calling upon the Secretary of the Treasury
"to appoint a committee of five to pass upon all coins and medals to be
struck by the United States Mint. This Committee to consist of at least
two artists of undoubted reputation, and at least two members who
have a knowledge of coinage and the medallic art, and which (sic!) shall
128 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
be named by the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society.
This joint Committee to pass upon all coins and medals to be cut by
the United States Mint, and also to be an advisory Committee." The
Society favored the substance of the resolution in all respects save the
fact that it would have originated within the organization; hence it
failed to pass. Kunz and Parish, however, were appointed as a com-
mittee with power to act on any proposition relative to a change of
coinage.
A special meeting devoted to this question was convened on Febru-
ary 5, 1894. Kunz now presented a new resolution suggesting that the
metric system be adopted for U.S. coinage so that it might enhance its
utility throughout the world. This resolution also requested that Con-
gress direct the Secretary of the Treasury to appoint a committee of
five, consisting of two well known sculptors, artists or medallists named
by the National Sculpture Society of New York; two well known nu-
mismatists or medal collectors named by the American Numismatic
and Archaeological Society; and a fifth who was a recognized authori-
ty on weights and measures to consider "all matters relating to the
United States mints as appertain to the weight, design and execution
of coins and medals for the future." It was further proposed that the
Secretary of the Treasury be directed to spend $5,000 to be divided
among artists and designers and $5,000 to be divided among diesink-
ers willing to compete for these prizes with the condition that the
contest should yield a result capable of use by the Mint. It was a far
reaching plan involving the Society as clearly as Kunz's original pro-
posal.76
The fact that this new proposal was carried is explicable in simple
terms. On February 2, 1894, the National Sculpture Society had ad-
dressed a letter to the Society attacking the artistic merit of the coinage
and inviting joint activity to obtain better results. Additional support
was asked and given by the Archaeological Institute of America, the
Boston Fine Arts Club, the Architectural League of New York, the
Society of American Artists, the National Academy of Design, the
Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Art Club of Philadelphia.77
A letter had already been sent by the National Sculpture Society to
the Secretary of the Treasury giving their views.
1883-1905 I2Q
The idea of improving the design of American coinage was favored
by many people, but there were those who recognized the difficulties
facing such a proposal and were skeptical about its success.78 Never-
theless, a joint committee was established in conjunction with the Na-
tional Sculpture Society to carry out the idea. There were six represen-
tatives from the Society, Kunz, Zabriskie, Parish, Dodd, Tonnele, and
Drowne. This joint committee suggested not only that a change of
design be advocated but also that the metric system be adopted with
regard to coinage.79
Unlike so many other projects which perish by a slow tortuous death
in the hands of a committee, the new coinage proposal was actively
fostered. The joint committee, which in its final form included repre-
sentatives from our Society, the National Sculpture Society, the So-
ciety of American Artists, the Architectural League of New York, the
National Academy of Design, and the College of the City of New York,
with Russell Sturgis as Chairman and George F. Kunz as Secretary,
offered two prizes of $300 and $100 each for the best designs. An ex-
hibition was held under the auspices of the National Sculpture Society
at the American Fine Arts Building from May 7-21st, 1895. A large
number of people attended, and the new designs for a U. S. dollar
were displayed. Along with them there was an exhibition of coins and
medals as well as of electrotype copies covering the entire span of
numismatic studies. Even the United States Mint participated through
the loan of several pieces. On May 19th the jury sat to award the
prizes, and the first prize was given to Albert Jaegers for an eagle
reverse, with the second prize for an obverse design of Liberty going
to Albert Randolph Ross, both of this city. It is somewhat anticlimactic,
but it must be reported, that on the motion of Augustus St. Gaudens,
the renowned sculptor who later designed coins for the Mint, the Execu-
tive Council of the National Sculpture Society had adopted a reso-
lution on May ijih stating "that these awards in no way commit the
joint jury to the endorsement or commendation of the model, and have
been made simply because the terms of the competition call for an
award of the prizes; and the Committee in no way recommend the
models for execution."80 At the Annual Meeting of our Society, how-
ever, after copies of the prize entries had been received, it was moved
130 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
and carried "that the thanks of the Society be expressed to Messrs.
Albert Jaegers and Albert R. Ross for their very acceptable gifts of
the electrotypes of their models for the United States silver dollar."
Of course the work of the Committee had not been completed, and
they continued to press for a better coinage. In 1897, Daniel Parish as
Chairman of the Committee on New Coinage submitted an elaborate
report presenting a revised scheme to the Society. After pointing out
that changing the coinage to any degree was essentially an international
rather than a national affair, and giving vigorous support for the
adoption of the metric system, Parish called for Congress to appro-
priate ten thousand dollars for every coin authorized to be struck. This
ten thousand dollars was to be placed at the disposal of a committee
of not more than five members including a portrait painter, a sculptor,
a numismatist, an engraver or practical diesinker of American coins,
and a fifth individual chosen by the National Academy of Sciences be-
cause of his thorough knowledge of the metric system. The money at
the disposal of this committee for each coin was to be divided into
equal segments. Ten prizes of $500 each was to be given to the artists
submitting the ten best designs, and these ten men were then to com-
pete for the remaining $5,000 grand prize. An agreement was to be
reached with the winner that permitted the use of his design, with his
name appended, for the striking of a coin for general circulation.81 As
far as can be determined nothing was ever done towards carrying out
the scheme. The report was filed and nothing further was heard from
the Committee.
During the twenty years from 1885 to 1905 the interest of the So-
ciety in improved medallic art was cultivated and nine medals were
issued. In addition to the Anthon, Parish, and Columbus medals,
there was a medal in honor of Dr. William Augustus Muhlenberg
which was struck in 1896 to commemorate the opening of the St.
Luke's Hospital building on Cathedral Heights.82
The completion of Grant's tomb was the occasion for another medal.
In 1897 a committee was established for the striking of that piece with
George F. Kunz serving as Secretary; Tiffany & Co. prepared the dies.
The sale of the medals did not completely cover the cost, but the
deficit was paid without any difficulty. In addition, specimens in silver
1883-1905 131
were presented to Mr. U. S. Grant, President McKinley, Mayor
Strong, Viceroy Li-Hung Chang, Pope Leo XIII, the Queen of Eng-
land, the President of France, the Emperor of Germany, the Czar of
Russia, the Emperor of Japan, the Emperor of China, the Queen of
Holland, the King of Sweden, the Emperor of Austria, the King of
Italy, and the King of Spain. A copy in bronze was given to the Pre-
sident of Venezuela and one in gold to General Horace Porter.83 On
Friday evening, April 23, 1897, the presentation to General Porter
took place in the presence of Mr. George Maccullach Miller, President
of St. Luke's Hospital, and President Seth Low of Columbia Univer-
sity. The other presentations were made by mail and the royal letters
which were received in return were bound together and made a per-
manent part of the Society's Library.
In 1897, William Rhinelander Stewart suggested that another medal
be struck to commemorate the Twenty-fifth National Conference of
Charities and Correction to be held in New York on May 18, 1898.
Stewart was President of the conference. It was decided to do so on
condition that the medals be issued at no expense to the Society; that
the members of the Society have the right to purchase one specimen in
whatever metals the pieces were struck; that the Society approve the
design; and that the cancelled dies be deposited with the Society. The
Local Committee of One Hundred of the Conference quickly assumed
the burden of the expense, and the medal was shortly issued. One piece
was struck in gold and presented to William Rhinelander Stewart.84
The obverse design by Victor Brenner was quite striking. It showed a
figure of the Angel of Mercy, descending with outstretched wings, and
hands extended in an attitude of protection over two seated figures, the
one on the left a female with hands clasped and face uplifted, re-
presenting poverty, and on the right a male criminal with bowed head
resting on his right hand, and a manacle on his left wrist. The Con-
ference requested and received the right to use this design as its seal.85
In honor of the consolidation of the five communities about the Port
of New York to form Greater New York in 1898, still another medal
was issued. The design was prepared by Edward Hagaman Hall, and
the dies cut by Tiffany & Co. Andrew H. Green, the Father of Greater
New York, had proposed such a consolidation in an official report in
9*
132 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
1868. Preparation had been made for a magnificent celebration of the
Charter Day, and one feature of the festivities was to be the presen-
tation of the medal to him. War broke out with Spain, however, and
the program had to be abandoned. On October 6, 1898, the anniver-
sary of Green's birth, the part of the celebration which included the
presentation was carried out.86
The visit of Prince Henry of Prussia to the United States shortly
after the turn of the century was also commemorated in medallic
fashion. Three copies were struck in gold, and one of these was pre-
sented to Prince Henry while the other two were given to the Metro-
politan Museum of Art and to the Society. The medal itself was de-
signed by Victor D. Brenner, and shows a bust of Prince Henry in
uniform as the obverse with a figure of Mercury riding on a cloud and
bearing in his right arm fruits and flowers and in his left the caduceus.
To the right are the shields of Hohenzollern Germany and the United
States.87
During the same year the Society invited Victor Emmanuel III,
King of Italy and a renowned collector, to become an honorary mem-
ber. The membership medal was struck in gold for presentation to the
King, and it was forwarded to him with appropriate notice of the
honorary membership. Victor Emmanuel accepted this honor gra-
ciously, and a series of letters from Italian officials attest to the value
that the King attached to it. Within a day or two of the receipt of this
honor the King received the U.S. Naval Attache, and in the course of
the conversation, Victor Emmanuel "referred to his election to this
Society and expressed the gratification he felt at the attention."88
This activity in the production of medals was not limited to oc-
casional events, and plans were made to inaugurate a constant series.
At the Annual Meeting of 1902, Bauman L. Belden took note of medals
already issued by the organization and the fact that in 1901 President
Zabriskie had favored a regular issue of medals after the fashion of the
limited editions put out by the Grolier Club.89 With the intent of be-
ginning such a series, he moved that a Medal Committee of five mem-
bers be appointed to draw up the necessary plans and gather data. The
resolution was adopted and the new Committee consisting of J. Hull
Browning, Bauman L. Belden, Alfred J. Bloor, Charles G. Dodd, and
Medal Commemorating Opening of St. Luke's Hospital
Medal Commemorating Dedication of Grant's Tomb
Twenty-fifth National Conference of Charities and Correction Medal
William Rhinelander Stewart
Victor D. Brenner
1883-1905 133
Edwin H. Weatherbee was appointed.90 The striking of the medal for
Prince Henry of Prussia delayed consideration of a new series until
May of 1902, when the Committee brought in its report favoring new
issues in honor of John Marshall, Washington Irving, Benjamin
Franklin, Commodore Vanderbilt, John Jay, and Edwin Booth. This
report was accepted and the Committee was discharged so that it
might be replaced by a new group which would carry out the proposal
with the provision that before any medal was issued by the Committee it
would have to be approved by the Society as a whole.
At the Annual Meeting of 1903, the Committee requested and was
granted broader powers and the right to proceed with the striking of
a piece in honor of Americus Vespuccius.91 By the end of the year, the
piece itself had been issued from a design by Victor D. Brenner. Prob-
lems arose with regard to the portrait used for Vespuccius as well as
with respect to the earliest map showing the application of his name
to the new World. Edward D. Adams, Chairman of the Medal Com-
mittee, gave a complete report of the difficulties encountered and the
solutions finally decided upon, in his report to the membership in
19o4.92 No sooner was this piece completed than work began on the
production of future works of medallic art.
Revival of interest in medallic art such as the world witnessed in the
late nineteenth century could not fail to be reflected in the activities
of a numismatic organization. The production of medallic works in-
creased greatly during the late nineteenth century as compared with
all earlier periods. In 1898, President Zabriskie noted this increased
interest and the number of specimens which the Society had but lately
produced or was then in the process of issuing.93 In his Presidential
Address in 1899, Zabriskie went even further; he made an earnest plea
for the more prominent members of the community and the commer-
cial and charitable organizations to commemorate events in their
history by the production of medals. He also brought to the attention
of the Society the fact that the National Academy of Design proposed
to erect a new building, and, he had been assured, would gladly have
given room for a school for medal cutting. He looked forward to found-
ing a chair for medal cutting by the turn of the century, and ended
his plea with the question "May it not be left to our great country to
134 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
produce a school of medalists combining the dainty taste and refine-
ment of the modern French school with a breadth and strength all its
own, and typical of our own noble country?"94
Apparently this broad plea for such a school of die-cutting was ig-
nored by the membership in 1899, but it was repeated at greater
length and in greater detail in 1900. At that Annual Meeting President
Zabriskie pointedly discussed the decline in the artistic merit of Ameri-
can medallic productions. He argued vehemently for action:
Let us not my friends, leave this room tonight until a Committee has been ap-
pointed to take up this great work, which cannot fail to be the most important ever
undertaken by this Society. It is often said, prove the use of a body and that body
will receive the support of the intelligent and enlightened of the community. If to
gather together and preserve in our cabinets coins and medals is a thing well done,
then to be the animating force from which shall spring the American medallic works
of the new century is a thing twice well done. Fortune is knocking at our door; will
you join me to advance what will, long after you and I are at rest, redound to the
credit of American medallic art, and keep in everlasting remembrance The Ameri-
can Numismatic and Archaeological Society?95
In consequence of this presidential plea a resolution was offered
setting up a committee of seven to study the proposal and to report at a
subsequent meeting. To this Committee Zabriskie appointed Wood-
bury G. Langdon, Chairman; J. Hull Browning, Russell Sturgis, M.
Taylor Pyne, Thomas Whittaker, Frederick E. Hyde, and J. Kensett
Olyphant.98
Naturally enough the proposal rapidly became public knowledge.
The Academy of Design pressed for prompt action, and the local press
made inquiries about the new school. A new enterprise of this variety,
however, required very careful preparation, and both the Academy of
Design and the reporters were gently urged to be patient until final
arrangements were approved by the Society.97 By November of that
year some of the preliminary steps had been taken. The National
Academy of Design had offered a room for the use of the school for a
part of each day, and had appointed J. Caroll Beckwith, I. C. Nicoll,
and Frederick Dielman as a Committee to work out the details with
the Society. It was proposed that the school start immediately on a
schedule of three sessions a week with from eight to ten pupils and two
1883-1905 135
instructors. One of these instructors was to teach the practical appli-
cation of the art of drawing and design for dies, and the other was to
instruct in the preliminary steps connected with the modelling of
designs and the incising of metals. An advanced course was envisioned
for the second year. The estimated cost for the eight months of the aca-
demic year was $800, and since the money was to be raised by sub-
scription from among the members of the Society, the new project was
known as the "SCHOOL FOR COIN AND MEDAL DESIGNING AND DIE
CUTTING, UNDER THE JOINT DIRECTION OF THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC
AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL SOCIETY AND THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF
DESIGN." Supervision was to be shared jointly by the Society and the
Academy. Steps were taken to carry the plan to completion.
Barely two months elapsed before the necessary funds had been
secured and the School was opened. Charles J. Pike, a medallist and
sculptor of some repute, was engaged to teach twice a week at the
munificent salary of fifty dollars per month.98 The pupils, however,
were to meet and work every day of the month, and they paid a nominal
fee of two dollars per month. Woodbury G. Langdon had offered
prizes totaling $100 for the best work done in the school during the
academic year ending in May 1901. Though the School began oper-
ations with only two pupils, by the Annual Meeting of 1901 when the
first report was made, the class had increased to nine." By May of the
same year, however, the trend had reversed itself. The number of
pupils had at one point reached ten, but three had dropped from the
course. Nevertheless, the work was proceeding most satisfactorily and
the expenses were somewhat below what had been anticipated. The
thanks of the Society were therefore embodied in a resolution for
Charles J. Pike.
The next year was not quite as successful. Only four pupils, all
women, attended the autumn sessions which were, at first, conducted
in the afternoon. It was presumed that the drop in enrollment resulted
from the fact that many would-be students were employed during the
day, and in consequence the time of meeting was changed to the
evening. Two men now joined the class, but it is clear, despite the con-
fident tones of the report of the Committee in charge of the School, that
there was real disappointment among the members over the fate of
136 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
the project. It was decided to add some instruction in the designing and
modelling of ornamental decorations and artistic jewellery in an
attempt to attract students who might later be directed towards
medallic art. Victor D. Brenner, a well known medallist who had been
a pupil of the French artist Roty and was responsible for the designs
of several of the Society's medals, was chosen to instruct on two
evenings a week. Once again prizes aggregating $100 were donated
for the best work.100 The report of the Committee closed with the
observation that "Sufficient funds have been voluntarily subscribed,
by members of this Society, to guarantee the expenses of the class for
two more years, in which time it should be possible to estimate the
probable results to be expected from this effort, which, at its initiation,
must of necessity produce small results, but which should, in time,
develop great usefulness, as only one or two similar classes are in ex-
istence in the entire world."101
The School reopened in October 1902 for a new academic year with
an enrollment of three students. By the following month it was six.
Victor D. Brenner, however, resigned as instructor and was replaced
by Charles J. Pike who had been the first teacher.102 Apparently the
years activities in this program were successfully completed by May
with the award of cash prizes to the three best compositions.103 All
three winners were women so it would seem as though the School had
its greatest attraction for the fair sex. In 1903, the program was con-
tinued, but there was still no appreciable increase in enrollment. There
was, however, the additional problem of finding a diesinker willing
to teach the students. This difficulty was never adequately resolved.
Finally Woodbury G. Langdon found, in May 1905, that he could no
longer continue as chairman of the committee charged with con-
ducting the School. His resignation, which was accepted with an ex-
pression of gratitude for the generosity and interest he had lavished on
the enterprise, made it necessary to review the entire project.104 In
November of that year the decision was taken to discontinue the
operation. Throughout its short history the project had been a failure.
Europe was experiencing a renaissance of the medal at the time, and
the foreign craftsmen coming to these shores were kept busy creating
new medals for this country that were not stylistically to be differen-
1883-1905 137
tiated from those abroad. Interest on the part of the native populace
in this art was not sufficient to entice young men into the field where
they would have been in competition with these skilled Europeans.
Under these conditions it was useless to continue the endeavor. The
balance, $203.94, remaining from the funds of the School, was applied
to the purchase of books, coins, and medals with the tacit approval of
the subscribers.
Even if the Society suffered a failure in its attempt to create an
American school of medal designing, it was eminently successful in re-
presenting this country abroad. George. F. Kunz was honorable
special agent to the commander general of the United States at the
Paris Exposition in 1900, and delegate to the International Congress
which took place in the same city at that time. Kunz therefore made
it possible for the Society to take part in that exposition in exemplary
fashion. As early as 1899 there were discussions within the Society
regarding the nature of the participation, and it was finally decided
to follow the plans for space utilization presented by Kunz and to give
him the authority to make the necessary arrangements. In December
the Executive Committee of the Society dealt with the myriad prob-
lems which were involved in this enterprise, and the official represen-
tatives of the Society were named: J. Sanford Saltus, Augustus St.
Gaudens, and George F. Kunz as well as Victor D. Brenner.105 The
necessary space for the exhibit was secured in a most desirable location
at the Exposition. All things seemed to be progressing most favorably
until the evening of January 15,1900. At that meeting, when the agenda
called for a discussion of new business, Daniel Parish rose and objected
to the Society's participation in the Paris Exposition. He stated that
he had heard but little about the proposed exhibit before that evening
but in the light of what he had heard he felt that "the Society could not
make a creditable exhibition" because "the medals produced in this
country could not compete with those of France in artistic merit."
Drowne, who apparently favored the organization's participation,
replied by stating that the exhibition was to be historical rather than
artistic and was to consist of types of the United States and Colonial
coins, medals illustrating American history, medals and publications
of the Society, and insignia of military and patriotic societies, and that
138 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
it was thought that on these lines an interesting exhibition could be
made. Bauman L. Belden then attempted to push the matter to a vote
before there was further discussion. He submitted a resolution to the
effect "that the Society approve of the action taken by the Executive
Committee in regard to the exhibit at the Paris Exposition and that the
Committee be authorized to continue the work." Zabriskie promptly
put the motion to a vote and declared it carried. Parish, a former Pre-
sident of the organization, was apparently somewhat hurt by the
procedure initiated by Belden for he appealed from the decision of the
Chair. Zabriskie, however, was upheld by a vote of five to three with
Edward Groh, the oldest member of the Society not voting.106
Whatever slight opposition there was to the Society's participation
had now been overcome. On March 1, 1900, the glass enclosed exhibit
was put on view in the Society's rooms after which it was taken down,
packed, insured, and shipped to Paris. In Paris it was the responsibility
of Brenner to see that the material was properly displayed.107
Saltus later wrote to the Society from Paris to say that the location
granted to the exhibit was a most desirable one, and that the display
was very effective. It was judged worthy of an award of a medal and
diploma. 108 By January 1901, the collection had been safely brought
home to the United States and the pieces that had been borrowed from
various owners were returned. Resolutions expressing the thanks of the
Society to George F. Kunz, J. Sanford Saltus, Augustus St. Gaudens,
and particularly Victor D. Brenner, who had attended the Society's
interests in Paris, were adopted.109
There was one significant outgrowth of the participation of the
Society in the Exposition Universelle as far as the internal develop-
ment of the organization was concerned. One of the features of the
display in Paris had been a collection of insignia of American military
and hereditary societies. The Executive Committee in its report in
1900 suggested that a portion of the Society's cabinet be devoted to
such a collection. They were not prepared to expend funds to acquire
these medals, badges, and decorations, but they did feel that many
societies would allow the insignia to be placed in a permanent collection.
Bauman L. Belden seized this suggestion and moved that a Committee
of three members, to be known as the Committee of Insignia of Ameri-
1883-1905 139
can Military and Hereditary Societies, be appointed to carry on the
work of building such a collection.110 This was accepted, and the
Committee began its operations, As was very natural the name was
shortened in the very next year to the Committee on American In-
signia. The work of its group was eminently successful because at the
Annual Meeting in 1905, they reported that "The collection now
consists of 134 specimens, is undoubtedly without an equal, and has
been acquired entirely either from the proceeds of donations of money
or gifts of the specimens themselves."
The donations to the Society in the field of American insignia are
only a particular instance of the generosity of members and friends of
the organization. Parish Hackley Barhydt, who had become a member
of the Society in 1895, died two years later. He had not been one of the
most active members, but apparently his love for the Society was
recognized by his widow; Mrs. Barhydt donated $200 as a fund in
memory of her husband.111 By far the most important donation, how-
ever, was that made by Edward Groh who in 1900 presented the first
sizeable collection to the Society. It was composed of 5,286 Civil War
tokens. This magnificent collection was, of course, further enlarged
as the years passed, and it formed the basis for George Hetrick's work
on the subject. A vote of thanks was given Groh at the Annual Meet-
ing in 1901. Even earlier, however, Groh had been honored by his
colleagues in signal fashion by the presentation on December 6, 1900,
of an inscribed sterling silver loving cup. Groh had been one of the
founders and one of the incorporators of the Society. His interest in it
had never lagged, and these symbolic acts of appreciation by the
members were well deserved. His death on January 2, 1905, was a great
loss to the Society.112
If viewed in retrospect, however, of all the events in the two dec-
ades from Anthon's death to 1905, one which passed relatively un-
noticed at the time was of the most crucial significance for the future
history of the Society. On January 20, 1899, Archer M. Huntington
was elected to resident membership in the Society.113 He was still a
very young man, not quite twenty-nine years old, but he had already
published A Notebook in Northern Spain and chosen Spanish letters as his
field. As the adopted son of Collis P. Huntington, one of the builders of
140 OLD PROBLEMS AND NEW IDEAS
the Southern Pacific Railroad, he was possessed of the means to carry
on great enterprises, and within himself he had the vision and enthu-
siasm to make use of his wealth and power for constructive purposes.
His philanthropies were numerous and included the Mariners' Muse-
um at Newport News as well as the five institutions which surround
Audubon Terrace in upper Manhattan; the Hispanic Society of Ameri-
ca, the American Geographical Society, the Museum of the American
IndianHeye Foundation, the American Academy of Arts and
Letters, and the American Numismatic Society. Huntington's connec-
tion with all these institutions marked turning points in their individual
careers which were noted in their histories.114 The varied pursuits
which he followed, however, never kept him too long removed from
his first love, Spain and Spanish culture. He produced numerous works
in his major field of interest and amassed excellent collections of docu-
ments and Spanish artistry. It is perhaps best to let Huntington's in-
fluence show itself in the results which he obtained in his various enter-
prises.
In 1899, as has been said, little notice was taken of the fact that
Archer Milton Huntington had become a member. Even in 1900
when Huntington became a Life Member of the Society there was still
no evidence of an abiding interest. Then suddenly on December 16,
1904, President Zabriskie presented his resignation to take effect the
next day. No specific reasons are given for this action, but almost
certainly it is to be connected with the failure of the plan to merge
with the New-York Historical Society.115 Huntington does not appear
to have taken any part in that project nor was his name mentioned at
all save in the membership rolls. Nevertheless at the Annual Meeting
on January 16, 1905, Huntington, a young man approaching hi&
thirty-fifth birthday, was unanimously elected President, and a new
era in the history of the Society began.
Medal Commemorating the Consolidation of the Municipalities
about the Port of New York-Charter Day
Medal in Honor of Prince Henrv of Prussia
Americus Vespuccius Medal
Paris Exposition Prize Medal
A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
election of Mr. Archer M. Huntington to the Presidency of the
Society marked a turning point in its history. His acceptance in a letter
from Palermo, Sicily, dated February 15, 1905, heralded the expansion
of the horizons of the organization to the fullest. The vast means at
his disposal enabled him to act as the motive force for a series of new
endeavors. In carrying out these projects he was ably assisted by the
other members whose numbers were constantly increasing. At a special
meeting on April 24th of that year it was announced that even though
the dispute regarding the merger had momentarily affected the mem-
bership rolls adversely, thirty-nine new members had joined since the
first of the year. This brought the number on the rolls to 219 whereas
the highest figure recorded previously had been 207.l
Another auspicious omen that augured well for the Society was the
enlistment of Edward T. Newell among the active members. Newell
was probably among the thirty-nine who joined the organization in
the early months of 1905.2 It is quite apparent from the tone of his
letter of acceptance that he was not completely familiar with the
activities of the Society, but it is typical of him that he immediately
journeyed to New York from his home in New Haven to secure all in-
formation that could be given by Belden. Within a month after his
141
142 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
visit Newell accepted the post of Assistant Curator.3 Poillon was at that
time serving as Curator.
Edward T. Newell's career is so closely associated with the American
Numismatic Society that much of the history of the institution would
be incomprehensible without an understanding of his life. He was born
in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in 1886, and studied at Yale where he re-
ceived an A.B. in 1907 and an A.M. in 1909. He was thus barely nine-
teen years old when he joined the Society. Since he was a man of
independent means he was able to devote himself almost exclusively
to the pursuit of numismatics, and many of his researches were not only
pioneer efforts in difficult aspects of Greek and Hellenistic studies but
they have never been superseded. For these studies he was honored by
the many learned societies of which he was a member, and in 1918
was the recipient of the Archer M. Huntington Medal conferred by the
American Numismatic Society. In 1925, his renown in the field was
such that he received a medal from the Royal Numismatic Society for
"distinguished service in numismatic research." The numerous books
and articles which flowed from his pen often marked milestones in the
history of numismatics. In 1910, he was elected to the Council of the
American Numismatic Society, and, in 1916, became President. He
held that post until his untimely death in 1941.4
In 1905, the President was authorized to appoint each year an Asiss-
tant Librarian, and at the suggestion of Bauman L. Belden, his author-
ity to appoint a Committee on Numismatics and a Committee on
Library was revoked. This proposal was made to streamline the or-
ganizational structure of the Society so that all the offices and the
various committees would have clearly defined functions which in no
way conflicted with one another. These two Committees obviously
duplicated the work of the Assistant Curator and Assistant Librarian.
Nevertheless the value of committees with specific tasks was evident
to the members from the excellent results obtained by the Committee
on American Insignia.5
This was not the only phase of reorganization carried out in 1905.
At the meeting in November, Belden as Recording Secretary noted
that the supply of printed Constitutions was exhausted and that there
were several changes which it might be wise to make before a new
1905-1915 143
edition was published. Thereupon, Kunz suggested that a committee of
five be appointed to revise the Constitution and By-Laws and to report
back. This proposal passed without difficulty, and Belden, Parish,
Pryer, Drowne, and Weeks were chosen to carry out the recurring
task of revising the basic documents of the organization.
A new factor, however, was injected into the situation when the New
York Law of 1848, under which the Society had been incorporated,
was repealed, and the organization fell under the Membership Cor-
porations' Law. This new governing ordinance did not provide for a
possible change of the name of the corporation nor for the elimination
of any of its objects, though it was likely that the Legislature might
eventually make such changes. In Section 14 of the law there was
provision for a change of the number of directors or managers "by vote
of the majority of its members present at an annual meeting," and
Section 31 limited the total number of managers to thirty. Certification
of such a change had to be executed and filed by a majority of the
governing board with the Secretary of State and the County Clerk.
If any such changes were desired, the Constitution of the Society had
to be amended. In addition Section 8 of the law required that nine
members and not seven be present to constitute a quorum. Chapter V,
Section 1, of the By-Laws of the Society which required merely seven
members was therefore in need of amendment.6
Of necessity, the Executive Committee, at its meeting of December 18,
1905, approved a series of twelve amendments. Most of these were
purely formal in character, and save for the enlargement of the Exe-
cutive Committee by three members and a proposal to name it the
"Board of Managers," nothing of great consequence was effected. At
the Forty-eighth Annual Meeting in January 1906, all these changes
were unanimously adopted upon the motion of J. Otis Woodward
with the substitution of the title of Council of Administration for Board
of Managers.7
With these preliminary steps out of the way, the Society could turn
its attention to its main objectives. The lease of the Society's rooms at
the Union Dime Savings Bank was in force until May 1, 1906, so pro-
vision had to be made for a permanent home. Mr. Huntington, as
President of the Hispanic Society of America, had offered facilities in
144 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
the building of that Society with the proviso that "if any serious oppo-
sition to its acceptance by the (American Numismatic and Archae-
ological) Society should develop the offer would be withdrawn." The
committee inspected the rooms offered and suggested that they be
accepted. At a meeting in late 1905 the proposal to move to the new
site was presented, but one of the members, Henry C. Backus, suggested
that the motion be laid over until the next meeting. His principal
objection was that it would not be advantageous to the Society to
move as far uptown as 155th Street. This objection, however, had
already been foreseen, and it was pointed out that since the subway
line already extended far uptown the new quarters were only a short
three minutes walk from the station. Weeks, Drowne, Parish, and
Belden spoke against delay. A rising vote was given to move the Society
to the Hispanic Society building at I55th Street.8 Notice of termination
of the lease was given to the Union Dime Savings Bank.9
The land on which the Hispanic Society of America had erected a
Museum and on which the American Numismatic Society was shortly
to construct a permanent home, was situated in a suburban section of
New York City known as Audubon Park. The entire section had been
purchased by John James Audubon, the ornithologist, in 1841, but it
had passed from his heirs into other hands before it was acquired by
Mr. Huntington, the founder and President of the Hispanic Society.
Audubon's homestead, which was known as "Minniesland," the aviary
and the artificial lake for aquatic birds which he had constructed,
were situated somewhat closer to the river, down the hill at the foot of
the present I55th and 156th Streets. The center of interest on the Audu-
bon estate lay somewhat to the northwest of the present sites of the
institutions surrounding Audubon Terrace.
By May 21,1906, the Society was safely ensconced in its new quarters,
and a report was made:
The moving of the collections and Library to this room has been safely ac-
complished without any loss or damage, though this room is rather small for the
Society's needs, our Curator has been enabled to so arrange the cabinets that our
entire numismatic collection is accessible and, though many books and pamphlets
have had to be stored away on the upper floor of this building, our Librarian has
enough shelf room at his disposal, in this room for all such books as are likely to be
used while we occupy these quarters.
Archer M. Huntington (1907)
President 1903-1909
Edward T. Newell
President 1916-1941
Bauman L. Belden
Henry Clinton Backus
Reverend Milo H. Gates
William T.R.Marvin
1905-1915 145
Our occupancy of this room, is, of course, only temporary. Work on our new
building has already been commenced, and if it is pushed forward and not delayed
for any cause, the building should be ready for occupancy in the neighborhood of
six months.
The fact that this room is small for the Society's needs should be an additional
incentive to us all to use our utmost endeavors to increase the building fund, both
by making our own subscriptions prompt and generous and doing our best to
induce others to do likewise.
In actual fact, this anticipation for a six months residence at the His-
panic Society proved to be overly optimistic. The Society was to re-
main there until its Annual Meeting in 1908, and, of course, the prob-
lem of space continued to be quite pressing. This was particularly true
in the case of cabinet room for the constantly growing accessions.
President Huntington took steps to alleviate this situation when he
placed a cabinet at the disposal of the Society, but this could present
only a partial relief from the congestion in the trays. It was therefore
decided to purchase two new cabinets to serve during the period when
the Society was temporarily housed in the Hispanic Society building.
In recognition of the gracious efforts in behalf of the Society by
their host, the Hispanic Society of America, the latter was unanimous-
ly elected to Honorary Membership, in 1907, and at present the
oldest honorary member still on the rolls. The Hispanic Society
responded by electing the American Numismatic Society to Honorary
Membership.10
In the report just quoted the Committee mentioned the construction
of a new building for the Society itself. On January 2, 1906, shortly
after his return from Europe, President Huntington offered to present
to the Society a plot of ground on the north side of 155th Street, 325
feet west of Broadway, with a frontage of fifty feet and a depth of
100 feet. This plot was to be used for a building for the Society subject
to certain conditions stated in the deed. It goes without saying that
this very generous offer was immediately accepted, and two days later
the deed was delivered. News of this event was widely published in the
local press with full descriptions of the proposed development of the
area known as Audubon Terrace as a cultural center. Designs of the
proposed structure prepared by Charles P. Huntington, the architect
who had designed the building of the Hispanic Society, were published
10
146 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
with estimates of its cost which ran in the neighborhood of $50,000.u
The building itself may be described as one in the free classic style in
harmony with the design of the Hispanic Society edifice. The facade
was adorned with a porch and a series of Ionic columns which supported
a cornice and ballustrade. It was a two story structure of reinforced
concrete which was completely fireproof. In the interior of the building
on the first floor was to be found the exhibition room within a central
court surrounded by colonnades which supported a gallery lighted by
skylights. The entire effect was very pleasing, but some time was to
elapse before the actual structure was completed.
At the Annual Meeting on January 15, 1906, President Huntington
boldly sketched the broad outline for the future. He called for the
establishment of a Building Committee to carry out the work of con-
structing the new home and pointed out the advantage of the locale
which adjoined the Hispanic Society of America. A new building
would give great impetus to the activities of the Society and would
create a safe place for the display of its growing collections; and since
the total estimated cost was only $47,000, it seemed both feasible and
worthwhile. Proximity to the Hispanic Society would have the advan-
tage of promoting co-operation between the two groups in their re-
spective fields. Huntington also alluded to the fact that a great many
institutions of the character and size of the Society had paid staffs to
aid in carrying out their work. This speech was a clear call to action. It
was necessary to raise sufficient funds and to set up an organization
which would carry out the building plans. Belden immediately called
for the approval of all that Huntington had said and for the appoint-
ment of a Building Committee consisting of the President, Treasurer,
and five other members, "to solicit and receive subscriptions to the
Society's building fund, and to consider plans for said building, which
plans must be approved by the Executive Committee before adoption,
superintend the construction of the building and report to the Society at
each regular meeting." He also proposed that "the Executive Com-
mittee be given the power to authorize the proper officers of the So-
ciety to make all necessary contracts; and that the erection of the
building may be commenced as soon as, in the judgment of the Exe-
cutive Committee, the funds of the Society will warrant."12
1905-1915 147
By March 19, 1906, it was reported that subscriptions received for
the building fund were sufficient, in the judgment of the Council, to
warrant the granting of contracts and the start of construction. At that
point, it was informally reported that subscriptions amounting to over
$20,000 had already been received.13
Some few weeks earlier President Huntington had sailed for Europe,
but before he left he had written to the members of the Council:
New York 14 April 1906
To the Members of the Council
of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society:
I take this opportunity before leaving you to write a few words of appreciation
and thanks for the kindness you have extended to me in aiding me to fulfill what
would otherwise have been a somewhat difficult position. I trust that you may not,
in judging the results of the work of the Society for the past year, find me seriously at
fault in any matter of importance to the welfare of the Society and its future. There
has been much to do, there is still more to be done, and our work can only be brought
to a just and perfect completion by a continuance of that feeling of sympathy and
enthusiasm which you have all felt, and the impulse of which has kept the work free
from any discordant note.
The question before the Council now is one simple in itself and yet of the greatest
importance. We must raise a sum of money for the completion of our building, which,
though small in itself, will only be had as a response to the earnest endeavor of our
Council and members. I beg of you, therefore, to exert every effort toward the
immediate raising of this sum of money for it will be in many ways an exhibition of
strength. At this time when the Society is in need of this aid we shall learn who are
its best friends. I shall hope to find this obstacle to our progress removed on my re-
turn.
Again congratulating you upon the admirable work you have accomplished
and myself upon the pleasure of having served with you in this work,
I am, believe me
Very respectfully yours
(Signed) Archer M. Huntington
This call to the Council and members to carry on the task of build-
ing the home for the Society was immediately translated into further
urgings by Belden that the committee in charge of the task should
proceed with a schedule of Saturday meetings during the summer of
1906. Not all the members of that committee, however, were in a po-
sition to comply.14 Nevertheless, substantial progress was made over the
148 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
summer, and by November 1906 about half the funds needed had been
subscribed and the wooden forms and re-enforcement bars had already
been put up to the second floor. At the Annual Meeting on January 21,
1907, Mansfield L. Hillhouse, Secretary of the Building Committee,
reported that a total of $23,985.08 had been subscribed for the fund.15
Itjwas not expected that the building would be ready for occupancy
before 1908, but the need for more money was constant. There was a
noticeable decline in the number and amount of the subscriptions,
and it was finally necessary to borrow a considerable sum to complete
the construction.
The plan, as finally envisaged, was to hold the Fiftieth Anniversary
Meeting in 1908 in the new building. In December of 1907 the move
into the new home of the Society was accomplished.16 Of course this
was reported in the local newspapers as an event worthy of note. The
Fiftieth Annual Meeting was duly held in the American Numismatic
Society Building on January 20,1908. It was opened with a short prayer
by the Rev. Milo H. Gates, Vicar of the Chapel of the Intercession and
a member of the Society. President Huntington in his address noted
the co-operative effort that had made the new advance possible:
And this building is fortunately, and I say it with extreme pleasure, in no sense
the expression of the endeavor of a single man. It is the result of the earnest co-oper-
ation of many of the members in a material sense, and of all of the members, I am
quite sure, in a sense even higher; for I feel that no one who has joined this Society
and has thus contributed to its maintenance, can fail to have a deep appreciation
of the importance of the work to which he has lent his aid, and a justifiable civic pride
in what has been accomplished. Fifty years is not too long a time to devote to the
establishment of a center for the encouragement of scientific study of an important
art, and frequently a much greater period has been required for a like result.17
At the time of the Annual Meeting, however, the building was still
in the last stages of construction, and since the Society had actually
reckoned its inception from April 6, 1858, it was decided that a formal
opening with a special celebration should be held on April 6th.18 By
March it was clear that the still unfinished building would be inade-
quate for a really large celebration on that date. It was therefore decided
that a special meeting should be called on that occasion, but that the
formal opening would take place at a later date.
Exterior of Hispanic Society of America (1905)
Interior of Hispanic Society of America (1908)
Hispanic Society of AmericaAmerican Numismatic Society
Architect's Sketch of the American Numismatic Society Building (1905)
1905-1915 149
The meeting of April 6th was held as scheduled, and on this oc-
casion the gavel which is still used by the presidents of the Society was
presented to the organization by Sanford J. Saltus. Congratulatory
messages were received from various societies and individuals through-
out this country and abroad. Among them were some from the Swed-
ish Numismatic Society, the Boston Numismatic Society, Dr. Asher
D. Atkinson, the only living founder, Ex-Presidents Benjamin Betts
and Andrew C. Zabriskie, and W. T. R. Marvin, the editor of the
American Journal of Numismatics. The Swedish Numismatic Society also
conferred its diploma of membership on President Huntington, Cor-
responding Secretary Henry Russell Drowne, and Curator William
Poillon. Mr. Julius de Lagerberg, a member from Passaic, New Jersey,
and brother of Magnus Emmanuel Lagerberg, Corresponding Member
of the Society in Stockholm, addressed the organization. The occasion
was crowned by an address by Belden detailing the inception and
completion of the building and announcing that President Huntington
had made a gift of $25,000 to complete the payments for the building.19
On May I3th, the first formal opening took place amid colorful
ceremonies and in the presence of a distinguished audience. The
National Sculpture Society was invited to the ceremonies and among
those present were the well known sculptors, Daniel C. French, Her-
bert Adams, F. Wellington Ruckstuhl, Enoch Wood Perry, Eli Harvey,
Chester Beach, Victor D. Brenner, and Jules Edouard Roine.20 The
unique qualities of the new building attracted favorable attention from
the press.21
President Huntington had cancelled all the debts owed to him by the
Society for the construction of the building with the result that the new
edifice was debt free. The regular funds of the organization had been
untouched by the tremendous expansion that had been carried out.
New vistas lay open before the group both as a scholarly institution
and as one serving the general public. By November of 1908 the Coun-
cil could report that "Visitors come to the building every day and
receive as much attention as it is possible to give them. The public
seems to be gradually finding out that there is a numismatic museum in
New York, and, while a considerable portion of the people do not
know what Numismatic means, we are certainly making a beginning
150 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
in giving them that information." One month later Huntington gave
the Society fifteen steel exhibition cases to line the wall of the gallery,
and by 1909 the museum was well equipped to carry out its functions.
Interest in the new home of the organization was reflected in the fact
that the year 1908 witnessed the greatest number of accessions up to
that time.
It was now possible for the Society to resume many of the functions
which it had permitted to sink into neglect or had turned over to other
organizations. It will be remembered that the American Numismatic
Society had founded the American Journal of Numismatics in 1866 and
had published it every month for four years, when it was taken over
by the Boston Numismatic Society as a quarterly. In 1893, its publi-
cation was taken over by William T.R. Marvin of Boston, who had for
many years been one of the editors, and he continued the journal up
to 1907. In that year, when the construction of the building had al-
ready begun, it seemed proper to the Council and advantageous to the
Society that something more than the annual Proceedings should be
published regularly, and of course the Journal was the first thing that
came to mind. A bargain was finally struck with Marvin whereby for
$400 the Journal including all back numbers, all plates, cuts and other
property, were purchased by the Society. Marvin, who had been an
honorary member of the Society for twenty-eight years, was to con-
tinue as editor at a nominal salary, but the Council and the Society
were to have absolute control over the policies of the Journal. The
Board of Trustees of the Hispanic Society at the same time offered to
guarantee the cost of publication for five years on the basis of the pre-
sent cost, and the offer was quickly accepted. Thus it was that, by 1908,
the American Journal of Numismatics, which had been begun by the Society
immediately after the Civil War, once again became the official organ
for its publications. There no longer seemed to be any reason for a
separate publication of the annual Proceedings, and they henceforth
appeared in the January issue of each volume of the Journal as well as
independently.22
Volume 41 of the American Journal of Numismatics, which was pub-
lished in 1907, was the last one printed under Marvin's ownership.
This presented an opportunity for a short review of the history of the
1905-1915
publication. The new issue practically ignored resumption of publication
and ownership by the Society. Only a short byline under the title
on the cover informed the public that the Journal was issued quarterly
under the auspices of the founding organization. It should, however,
be remembered that the Society had never lost complete contact
with the Journal, for Lyman H. Low, a member of the organization,
had served in the capacity of co-editor from 1891 to 1907. The new
issue of 1908 recorded that William T. R. Marvin was editor while
Daniel Parish, Jr., Lyman H. Low, and Bauman L. Belden comprised
the Publication Committee. Marvin continued in the post of editor until
his death in 1912, when that responsibility was given to a succession
of chairmen of the Publication Committee. First, Charles G. Dodd held
the post, then Edward T. Newell, and finally John Reilly, Jr.
In the later years of Marvin's stewardship there were continual dis-
cussions about improving the character of the Journal. Various com-
mittees were appointed to consider the wisdom of continuing it or to
make recommendations for its improvement. In 1912, after Marvin's
death, it was resolved that the Journal would be discontinued as a quar-
terly, but it was to be issued as a single volume at the end of each year.
To replace the Journal as a quarterly the Council decided to issue
monographs which would be distributed gratis to the members. In
December 1912, the first large volume of scholarly importance appear-
ed. It was a book describing and illustrating a series of medals on im-
portant events of the reign of Napoleon. These medals had never been
issued even though the designs were prepared. Ernest Babelon had
discovered the records and designs of these medals, and he later pro-
duced his Histoire Metallique de Napoleon le Grand, Empereur et Roi. This
particular volume was not made available to the members gratis.
The Journal itself continued to be published for several years, though
it never generated quite the same degree of enthusiasm. In 1916, vol-
ume 50 was issued. It was a useful work by Albert R. Frey entitled
A Dictionary of Numismatic Names, Their Official and Popular Designations.
The fifty-third and last volume in the series was issued in 1920 and
contained three articles, one of which was Newell's study, Myriandros-
Alexandria Kafisson. Indices of the Journal through volume fifty and of
Proceedings of the Society were included with volume fifty-one in 1918.
152 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
In January 1913, the first, and it must be added, the only volume of
the American Numismatic Series, was published. A total of 200 copies were
printed of a book by Edgar H. Adams and William H. Woodin en-
titled United States Pattern, Trial and Experimental Pieces. Even though
this series was not continued this one work was outstanding, for it has
remained a standard reference volume to the present day.
At about this time the Society ceased publishing bulletins of its meet-
ings, and instead inserted reports and notices in The Numismatist, a
journal published by the American Numismatic Association. The
Society subscribed for 400 copies at an annual subscription rate of one
dollar each, the issues being sent directly to the members. A specific
provision was made that granted the Society the right to cancel its
subscription at any time if The Numismatist should take part in any
factional controversies.
In 1914, The Electrum Coinage of Lampsakos by Agnes Baldwin was
published in monographic form, and in 1915 it was followed by the
Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society with an
Historical Sketch by Bauman L. Belden. This small volume of eighty-
one pages contained photographs of all the medals issued by the Socie-
ty up to that year.
Only the major publications have been covered in the list given
above, but in addition in 1908, a pamphlet of twenty pages by William
Poillon, the Curator, entitled Catalogue of the Collection of Gold Coins in
the Cabinet of The American Numismatic Society appeared, and two years
later Victor D. Brenner's The Art of the Medal was published in pam-
phlet form, to be followed shortly by another pamphlet by Charles De
Kay entitled A Brief Word on Medals. A total of eight illustrated cata-
logues of exhibitions were printed by the Society, but these should
be discussed in conjunction with those exhibitions.
One of the major continuing interests of the Society was the design
of American coinage. It will be remembered that at one time the So-
ciety had sponsored a contest for designs for the dollar. In 1905, the
American Numismatic Society was largely responsible for the adoption
of the St. Gaudens double-eagle and eagle designs as well as the Bela
L. Pratt half-eagle and quarter-eagle. It was, however, still evident
that much remained to be done with regard to improving the artistic
1905-1915 153
quality of the coinage. Thomas L. Elder suggested, in November 1906,
that a committee confer with President Roosevelt regarding the ad-
visability of adopting a more artistic coinage on the metric system.
This committee, consisting of Elder, Kunz, Parish, Brenner, and S.
Whitney Dunscomb, Jr., was duly appointed and set out to accomplish
its task. The New York Times on February 24, 1907, took cognizance of
the new group in an article explaining its mission and stressing the
role of Victor D. Brenner. Previously, the Times had called attention
in an editorial to the poor quality of our coinage as compared with that
of other major countries, and the New York Sun had mentioned that the
President was consulting with a well known artist from New York.
Obviously this was a reference to Brenner who had already designed
and modelled the coins of Santo Domingo, and was certainly suited
for. the task by reason of his training under the great medallists of
France. The long interview which Brenner granted to reporters to
explain his views of the problem was published in the Times article of
February 24, 1907.
All were not, however, uniformly agreed upon the necessity for a
change. A rather cynical article appeared in the form of a dispatch
from Washington in the New York Telegram of April 29th. Particular
mention was made of the efforts of the American Numismatic Society
to do something to remedy the poor quality of the United States coin-
age, but the tone of the entire piece was scoffing. This did not dishearten
the men who had been appointed to secure improvement. Elder, as
Secretary of the Committee, dispatched a copy of the resolution of the
Society to President Theodore Roosevelt, and on August 1st the
President answered in very gratifying terms:
Oyster Bay, Aug. 1
My Dear Mr. Elder:
I am in receipt of your letter of July 29, with accompanying resolutions and have
called for a report on them from the Secretary of the Treasury.
You will be pleased to know that we are now completing a new coinage of the
eagle and the double eagle designed by St. Gaudens than whom certainly there is
no greater artistic genius living in the United States or elsewhere.
Sincerely yours
Theodore Roosevelt
154 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
The President was certainly aware of the nature of the problem, and
sincerely wished to take steps of a forward character. The entire story
was told in an article in the New York Sun of August 3, 1907. Further
notices indicating that President Roosevelt supported the idea of a
change appeared in the New York Times of August 5th and the New
York Evening Post of December 5th. Elder himself, of course, was tre-
mendously pleased by the support given to the new proposal by the Sun,
and he said as much in a letter to Drowne:
Aug. 12, 07
Dear Mr Drowne,
Please get yesterday's Sun, if you did not see it, as it contains two or three good
articles on coins, one on stamps, and many others on various branches of collecting.
There is a good one on the St. Gaudens coins in which very flattering notice is given
to our Society. I think we ought to make some acknowledgement to the Sun for the
good work of education that it has been doing in the last two years. It is without
question the best collector's newspaper in the United States, and at present is spend-
ing, I figure from what Mr. Adams told me, about $4,000 a year on coins alone.
They pay Mr. Adams $12 a column for such articles, and this is only the beginning
of their expense in the matter. Any word of commendation tickles the newspapers
immensely and they will do anything for the numismatists if they recognize the
efforts they are making along this line.
Yours very truly,
(Signed) Thos. L. Elder.
Drowne apparently did write to the Sun as he had been requested.
This pleased Elder considerably and he was prompt to acknowledge it.
At the same time he took the opportunity to mention some of the re-
marks emanating from officials at the mint with regard to new coinage:
August 17, 07
Dear Mr. Drowne:
I feel very much pleased that you wrote as you did to the Sun. I believe your letter
will please them and help to keep up their interest in coins. One is disgusted with
statements accredited to the officials in regard to the new coins and in regard to the
present United States coins. I see in the Post of yesterday an article in which a state-
ment like this is accredited to G. W. Marlor, deputy assistant United States Trea-
surer. "Greater simplicity of design would render our coinage both more serviceable
and more satisfactory. Many of the coins are almost completely covered with designs.
It is not so important whether the lettering can be read or not, although it would
1905-1915 155
seem as though that much ought to be assured. But such a design as that on our
current quarter for instance is unpopular. Men who handle money simply do not
like it. It is hard to say just why, but it is a fact.(\\) If the design were simpler there
would be no objection to them at all." This is a sample of the ideas our financiers have on
art. If the newspaper men would go to artists for opinions it would help the move-
ment materially instead of hampering it as such statements tend to do. Anyhow there
are persons at the Phila. Mint who are very glad to find something to criticize in
the new St. Gaudens designs, as Mr. Barber who designed all the ugly things is still
on deck there, and was a member of the committee which rejected designs for an
U. S. Dollar some years ago.
Yours truly,
Thos. L. Elder
It apparently took some time to answer the letter from President
Roosevelt, but the Society did not drop the problem of artistic merit in
American coinage.23 Support came from other quarters. The Chicago
Numismatic Society passed a series of resolutions commending the
efforts of President Roosevelt in changing the designs of the gold coin-
age.24 At the meeting of January 20, 1908, George F. Kunz, as Chair-
man of the Committee on New Coinage Designs, reported that the
Committee had drawn up a plan for a contest among sculptors to
design new coins and had forwarded a copy of the proposal to Presi-
dent Roosevelt suggesting its adoption. An acknowledgement of its
receipt had been received about the time that the new ten and twenty
dollar gold pieces had appeared, and as a result the Committee had
taken no further action. He recommended that a committee be ap-
pointed to draw up suitable resolutions to be sent to President Roose-
velt regarding the efforts that he had already made to improve the
quality of the coinage. This action would have paralleled that of the
Chicago Numismatic Society. The Society quickly took up the sug-
gestion, and President Huntington appointed such a committee con-
sisting of George F. Kunz, Thomas L. Elder, Daniel Parish, Jr.,
Victor D. Brenner, and Milo H. Gates .^
An interesting sidelight to the efforts of the Society to improve the
coinage was also noted at that same meeting by Kunz. In a short
address at the end of the meeting he spoke of the problem affecting the
issue of the new St. Gaudens' pieces and said:
156 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
The members of The American Numismatic Society are all probably aware that,
when the dies of the designs by our late member Augustus Saint Gaudens, were
prepared for the Eagle and the Double Eagle, and the models were submitted to the
Director of the United States Mint, the Mint authorities found it impracticable to
strike these coins in the relief in which they had been modelled by the sculptor, as
they had no edges and did not stack. However, dies were made from the models,
and the latter were then returned to the sculptor, who executed a new model. A die
was made from this second model, but it also was returned, and the gold eagle in
circulation is from a third die.
The Director of the United States Mint caused two Eagles to be struck from each
of the first two dies, on the condition that they should go to some Numismatic
Society. You are probably aware that the first Eagle was also in high relief.
I take great pleasure in showing these coins this evening, and this pleasure is
greatly enhanced by my ability to inform you that, through the continued courtesy
of our esteemed fellow member and Vice-President, Mr. J. Sanford Saltus, these
coins are presented to the cabinet of The American Numismatic Society, and will
remain in its custody except for the brief time during which they will be placed on
view at the Augustus Saint Gaudens Exhibition, to be held in the Metropolitan
Museum of Art from March 2 to April 2.
As I have remarked, the authorities of the Mint stated that the first Eagle and
Double Eagle were of too high relief; they also lacked a proper stacking edge; that
is, they could not be stacked with the ease that is necessary when large numbers of
coins are to be handled in banking. In addition to this, with our present system of
minting, the cost of coining an Eagle is very great, and it is absolutely required that
the coins shall not vary in weight, although they are cut from plates of metal rapidly
rolled out. The Eagle must always weigh 258 grains, 900 fine, and the allowance
for waste is only one-thousandth, equalling one cent on each piece. The actual waste
in the coinage of the Philadelphia Mint during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1905,
was only 6.97 percent of this allowance. Hence we find there are difficulties in exe-
cuting artistic coins in high relief, such as the ancient Greek had abundance of time
to produce and ample time to admire.28
In March 1908, Edward D. Adams was added to the Committee to
draw up the resolutions for President Roosevelt after the group had
presented a draft which was referred back to them. There is, however,
no record that these resolutions were ever really completed and for-
warded to Washington. Nevertheless, in 1909, a new Lincoln head cent
was issued to commemorate the centennial anniversary of Lincoln's
birth. This new coin was designed by Victor D. Brenner, a member of
the Committee. His initials appeared prominently on the 1909 issue,
and after a hue and outcry they were removed. In 1918, these initials
American Numismatic Society Interior (1908)
American Numismatic Society Interior (1910)
John Reilly, Jr.
Thomas L. Elder
Members of the New York Numismatic Club at Keen's Chop House, January 1908.
American Numismatic Society Members present:
2. Joseph Mitchelson 9. Thomas L. Elder
3. Elliott Smith 11. W.H. Woodin
5. A.R. Frey 13. George H. Blake
6. Frank Higgins 14. Wayte Raymond
7. Edgar H. Adams 15. Victor D. Brenner
8. D. Macon Webster
18. Bauman L. Belden
1905-1915 157
were restored on the obverse side. This type cent was the first to have
the motto "In God We Trust."27 In 1864 this motto had been placed
on the new two-cent bronzes. This bronze coin was the first issue to bear
the motto, but it had been discontinued in 1873.
The fight for a more artistically conceived coinage has continued
down to the present day. In the forefront of the struggle has been the
American Numismatic Society. According to a short note in the New
York Evening Post of June 3, 1910, the Society had even gone to the
extent of establishing a new category of Associate Membership at an
annual fee of five dollars for the purpose of interesting the public at large
in the problem. There is no record in the minutes of any major discus-
sion surrounding the establishment of this new class of membership
in the new constitution of 1910, which will be discussed at a later point
in this chapter, but it seems obvious that there must have been a
variety of factors influencing that decision. One of these motives may
well have been to spread interest in numismatics more generally.
The efforts of the Society and its many friends were crowned with
success in 1913 when the first step was taken to redesign the fractional
coinage. In that year a new design of the nickel prepared by James E.
Fraser was issued by the Mint. This was the famous Indian head nickel
with the buffalo reverse. The Society had urged the necessity for
change, and the government had finally recognized the wisdom of the
move. A series of articles in the press throughout the country reflected
the increased interest in the artistic quality of the new coinage.28 In
1916, the new so-called "Mercury" head dime with the olive branch
and fasces appeared. It was designed by A. A. Weinman, and the
obverse was actually intended to be a Liberty head with wings on the
cap representing freedom of thought. In the same year Herman A.
MacNeil designed the new quarter with a standing Liberty, and a new
half-dollar by A. A. Weinman with a standing Liberty was also issued.
The fractional coinage had now been completely redesigned in answer
to the pressure of public opinion led by the numismatists and the
sculptors in the country.
During this period, of course, the Society itself was undergoing a
series of internal changes which made for ever increasing effective-
ness of operation. First, there was the change of the name to its original
158 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
form, American Numismatic Society. This was done while the Society
was still in quarters at the Hispanic Society. The change was suggested
on November 19, 1906, by Huntington, Parish, Poillon, Belden, Weeks,
Brenner, Dunscomb, Pehrson and Elder. So many men could hardly
have sponsored a single move without having consulted upon it over
a period of time. Thus it appears that the decision to make the change
had been generally discussed and was approved. A legal notice to that
effect was published in the New York Times of May 27, 1907, and again
in the same newspaper on June 3, 1907. The resolution effecting the
change had been passed at the Forty-Ninth Annual Meeting in 19o7.29
Of course, changing the name of the Society required a concomitant
alteration of the seal of the organization. The version of the seal in
use prior to this date had the motto PARVA NE PEREANT on a scroll
at the top and the name SOCI. AMERI. NUMIS. ET ARCHAEOL. around
the bottom while in the center were three upright bound sprigs of oak
with two acorns. The new seal was designed by Victor D. Brenner,
and it retained the same symbolism though the general effect was
much more graceful. In the more recent version the sprigs of oak are
gently curved from the lower left and the form of the leaves is much
better. The lettering PARVA NE PEREANT appears in the upper left
quadrant and the words THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY are to
be found in the lower left quadrant.
There is one semi-humorous sidelight to the process of changing the
name of the Society. S. Whitney Dunscomb, Jr., a prominent attorney
in New York and a member of the Society, handled the legal aspects of
the transaction.30 Dunscomb himself had suggested that there be an
attorney of record appointed, and he, at the urging of the officers, had
undertaken the task.31 In 1909, Dunscomb neglected to respond to a
registered letter from the Society about the payment of his dues, and it
was promptly moved by Belden that his name be dropped from the
rolls. At the same time, however, Belden noted that he had received a
bill made out to him individually for legal services rendered to the So-
ciety by Dunscomb for the amount of $125.00. It was moved and
carried that the bill should be ignored.
Shortly after the decision had been made to change the name of the
Society to its original form another organizational decision was made.
1905-1915 159
According to the Constitution of 1905, there were to be four commit-
tees: the Committee on American Medals, the Committee on American
Coins, the Committee on Foreign Coins and Medals, and the Com-
mittee on Ancient Coins. By March of 1907, it was apparent that the
other branches of numismatics should also be represented. Six new
standing committees were established: the Committee on Foreign
Medals, the Committee on Oriental Coins, the Committee on Masonic
Medals and Tokens, the Committee on Paper Money, the Committee
on Library, and the Committee on Building and Grounds.
Further minor adjustments were made in the Constitution and By-
Laws of the Society in 1908 and 1909, so that by 1910 it seemed wise
to reissue the Constitution with all its amendments in a revised form.
At the Annual Meeting held on January 17, 1910, the new Constitution
was voted upon and accepted.32
The year after the opening of the new building, 1909, witnessed a
change that reflected the greatly increased activities of the Society. It
is true that in the past the organization had retained some employees
for the usual household chores, but in that year the first of the technical
and administrative staff was added. At an informal meeting of the
Council, President Huntington suggested that, to keep the affairs of the
Society in proper order and to superintend the new building, it would
be neccessary to have someone on duty each day. He also recommended
having an Assistant Curator who could devote some period of each
day to work on the collection under the direction of the Curator, as
well as an Assistant Librarian when such assistance became necessary.
Huntington offered to guarantee to the Society an additional income
of $4,000 per annum for five years to be expended for these offices.
Bauman L. Belden was appointed as first Director of the Society at a
salary of $2,000 per year, and from $400 to $800 per annum was to
compensate Miss Agnes Baldwin who was to be appointed Assistant Cu-
rator and to devote each afternoon to the work of the Society. The ex-
act amount of Miss Baldwin's salary was to be left to arrangements
between Miss Baldwin and Belden. The remainder of the $4,000 was to
be used for other needs.
Belden's appointment, as is usual in such cases, was not unaccompan-
ied by some misgivings on the part of the maintenance employee
160 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
Nelson P. Pehrson. Pehrson was a man with a good deal of pride, and
the news of the appointment seemed to create in his mind the illusion
that he would now "have to play office boy and run errands." Belden
was advised that it would be well "to handle him a little carefully at
the start so as to keep on the friendly side."33
Agnes Baldwin, who was retained at the same time, had joined the
Society in 1908. She had been educated at Barnard College and Co-
lumbia University as well as at the American School of Classical
Studies in Athens. She was destined to be very active in the affairs of
the organization for the greater part of her life and to continue her
studies abroad at the Cabinet des Medailles in Paris. Throughout her
career she published widely on many numismatic subjects, and was
honored for her work by many institutions.34 Barely a month after
entering upon her new duties, she was placed on a full time basis.
In February 1909, Lyman H. Low informed President Huntington
that he intended giving up his business and that he would be willing
to devote his time to the Society at a salary of about $3,000 per year.35
This offer, however, was declined because the Society was not then in
a position to assume the additional expense. Weeks then proposed that
he would devote his evenings to the work of the library at a compen-
sation to be agreed upon and the figure of $1200 per annum was sug-
gested. This led to some discussion during which Weeks retired from the
room, and the decision was reached to let the matter lie over until the
next meeting. It was later agreed that due to lack of funds, the offer
could not be accepted. It was, nevertheless, decided that "with a view
to the recognition of the time and work devoted to the library, by our
esteemed Librarian, Mr. William R. Weeks, and his unfailing interest
in the Society, two hundred and fifty dollars be appropriated and
presented to him as a token of esteem on the part of the Council."
Such matters as leave to study abroad, vacations, and committee
work on the part of the staff, were treated in the Council meetings
during March and April of the year 1911. Agnes Baldwin had applied
for a leave of absence in 1911 to study at various museums abroad, but
at the time only three weeks were granted to her. By April 1912, this
situation had changed radically, and Miss Baldwin was granted the
remainder of the year with full pay to carry on her researches in
Howland Wood as a young man
American Numismatic Association
Convention (1910)
Farran Zcrbe
New Seal of The American Numismatic Society
International Exhibition of Contemporary Medals
Medal of the International Medallic Exhibition
1905-1915 I6I
Europe. By that time she had already demonstrated her ability to
carry out all the tasks required of her by preparing a Catalogue of the
International Exhibition of Contemporary Medals. This exhibition will be
discussed later, but a congratulatory resolution was passed by the
Council for Miss Baldwin's work.36
In 1910, William R. Weeks registered a formal protest that there was
no one in actual charge of the Library during business hours to insure
proper care in the handling of the books and periodicals as well as the
completion of the work of classification of the pamphlets. Some months
later, in January 1911, it was moved and carried that a Librarian be
employed at a salary of $1,000 per year and a stenographer at $8.00
per week. At the same time Pehrson, the janitor, was made night
watchman and a new janitor was employed for the daytime. Apparent-
ly it was impossible to retain a Librarian for any length of time at the
fee set, and as a result it was decided on March 9, 1912, that the office
itself should be abolished.37 Correspondence between Sydney P. Noe
and William R. Weeks at a later date shows quite clearly that Weeks
was driven from the office of Librarian in 1911, very much against his
will. In his letters to Noe, Weeks indicated that there had been some
bad feeling generated over his removal, but he never went into detail
about basic causes. The fact that Weeks was removed from the office
of Librarian and from the Council at one stroke, that no complaints
or charges were ever levelled against him, and that in March of that
same year he had been signally honored by the Council, leads to
suspicions regarding the nature of the action against him. Weeks him-
self, in one of his letters to Noe says, "I could not obtain the least ex-
planation of the charges, if any, against me."38 There is a mystery here,
but it is no longer possible to discover what actually transpired.
Of course the abolition of the office of Librarian led to questions
of a constitutional nature regarding the competence of the Society,
which was incorporated, to eliminate one of its offices. Since the
Librarian was merely an employee it was finally affirmed that such
power resided in the hands of the Society.39 The care of the library
now devolved for a short period of time upon the staff of the Society
with whatever assistants might be employed for specific tasks. In
April 1912, a resolution was adopted which stated "That, pending the
11
162 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
reconsideration of the method of arrangement of the numismatic
collection and the library of the Society, the office of Curator, as al-
ready decided in the case of the Librarian, be declared vacant." Barely
two weeks later, on April 27th, Alexander Duncan Savage was em-
ployed to catalogue and arrange the library until January 1, 1913, at
a salary of $1,000. Apparently Savage was given no title, and he
merely functioned in that one capacity without becoming a permanent
adjunct to the staff.
Perhaps one of the reasons for the seeming inability of the Society
to get a workable organization lay in the new Constitution which had
been promulgated in 1910. After the regular meeting of December
1909, President Huntington had resigned from the Presidency and had
been elected Honorary President. Under the new Constitution there
were no longer any officers known as President or Vice-President. The
authority resided in a Council of fifteen members elected for terms
varying from one to five years. There were to be five Governors, a
Secretary, a Domestic and a Foreign Corresponding Secretary, and a
Treasurer.40 From that point on the clear lines of authority appear to
have been severed, with resultant confusion. Amendments and changes
on minor points were proposed and carried, and a continual process
of change ensued before the members and staff became accustomed to
the new forms and procedures required by this novel arrangement.
By 1912, however, many of the difficulties had been worked out, and
when the question of the appointment of a new Curator arose, very
careful consideration was given to the appointment. Finally, in Decem-
ber of that year the Secretary was instructed to ascertain whether
Howland Wood of Boston would accept the position and at what com-
pensation. Wood had been actively identified with numismatic studies
in this country since 1900. He had been a contributor to many period-
icals and had taken a great interest in the American Numismatic
Association, the Boston Numismatic Society, and the publication of
The Numismatist. He was married to Elizabeth Eliot Marvin, the
daughter of William T. R. Marvin who had edited the American Journal
of Numismatics.93
Belden promptly wrote to Howland Wood, and after some cor-
respondence between them and a meeting between Wood and the
1905-1915 163
members of the Council, arrangements were finally made to have
him come to New York at an annual salary of $2,5OO.42 A month later
Wood assumed his new position.43
This, however, was not the last addition to the staff. It must be
remembered that the Society had been functioning without an active
Librarian during the period after 1912. In 1915, this post was finally
filled by the appointment of Sydney P. Noe. In the course of the years
to follow, Mr. Noe was to continue his active interest in numismatics
and to serve as Secretary of the Society, Editor, Curator, and Chief Cura-
tor. His association with the Society to the present moment has con-
tinued to benefit the organization.
The Society now had a full complement of staff personnel to carry
out its many functions, and it operated efficiently throughout the
period. Even the resignation of Bauman L. Belden as Secretary in
1916, after eighteen years in that office, was not marked by any diffi-
culties.44 The same was true of the resignation of J. Sanford Saltus from
the Council later in the year.
With the new building and growing staff, it became possible to
undertake new responsibilities towards the pursuit of numismatics in
this country. The years between 1906 and 1916 were particularly fruit-
ful in the number of exhibitions held and medals struck by the Society.
These various activities stimulated public interest in the study and
collecting of coins and medals. As early as 1905 the Society had re-
ceived a proposal from the Pennsylvania Society that the New York
body should co-operate with certain other institutions of this City to
celebrate the bicentennary of the birth of Benjamin Franklin.45 The
medals and coins relating to Benjamin Franklin were put on exhibition
by the Society, and at Poillon's suggestion the members were requested
to exhibit appropriate pieces from their own collections.46
After the building had been erected, the pace of activities was great-
ly accelerated. On invitation from the Society, the American Numis-
matic Association held its annual convention for the year 1910 in New
York and made use of the facilities put at their disposal by the Society.
Bauman L. Belden was selected to greet the delegates to the conven-
tion, and cards were sent to all members of the Society inviting them
to meet the members of the Association. The opportunity was also
11*
164 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
taken to distribute Weeks' History of the American Numismatic and Archae-
ological Society, and copies of the Constitution and By-Laws to the dele-
gates. An elaborate program was arranged for the benefit of the
visitors.47
The local press was very much struck by the assemblage of so many
people interested in the pursuit of numismatics and coin and medal
collecting.48 Taken as a whole the meeting was a great success, and
many of the overtones of that convention, neglected in the official
publication and the accounts given in the press, have been preserved
in the correspondence of the Society during the period. It is important
to note, however, at this point that good feeling pervaded the re-
lationship between the Society and the American Numismatic Asso-
ciation. The close connections which resulted from the fact that some
members of the Society were also members of the Association were
further strengthened when in February 1913, as has been mentioned,
the Council of the Society decided to subscribe to 400 copies of The
Numismatist which would be sent on a monthly basis to every member.
As a result of the proclivity to internecine feuding which was present in
the Association, Belden found it necessary to state in his letter to The
Numismatist that,
It is understood that the Numismatist is the official organ of the American
Numismatic Association, and is published in the interest of said Association and
not any faction of its members, and I am directed to inform you that in case the
Numismatist should take part in any factional controversy either between the Asso-
ciation and any other organization, or between members of the Association, this
Society will immediately cancel its subscription and cease to publish its reports in the
Numismatist.4*
In 1909 an invitation was received by the Society to be represented
at the International Numismatic Congress to be held in Brussels in
1910. This was the fourth of these congresses; the first had been held
in Brussels in 1891, the second in Paris in 1900, and the third in Rome
in 1903. In response to this invitation it was decided that President
Huntington should appoint one or more delegates. An exposition was
held in Brussels to coincide with the gathering of numismatists, and
this was reported in the New York Times of June 12, 1910. Huntington
View of Exterior of American Numismatic Society Joined to
Hispanic Society of America
Medal of the International Congress of Numismatics and Art
(Brussels, 1910)
John Paul Jones Medal
Membership Pin
1905-1915 165
himself was an Honorary Member of the Congress from the United
States and he served as its Vice-President. Wood, of course, enjoyed a
position in relation to the Congress because of his connection with the
American Numismatic Association, and the same was true for several
other members of the Society.50 There is no record that the Society or
any of its delegates took particularly active roles in the deliberations
of the Congress, but the medal that was struck in commemoration of
it and bearing the portrait of Babelon was issued under the auspices of
the Society and offered for subscription to the members in 1912.
The opportunity available to the Society with the opening of the
new building was not permitted to remain unused. In March 1909, it
was reported that nearly two thousand people had visited the building
and inspected the coins and medals that had been on exhibition in the
previous month. In March itself the International Exhibition of
Medallic Art was opened at the Society's building. This was a period
of quickening interest in medallic art in America as shown by the
changes in the coinage which were carried out at that time and the
large number of medals issued throughout the country. Rather lengthy
descriptions of the exhibition grounds and the pieces appeared in the
local press.61 It was probably the largest exhibition of objects of numis-
matic interest ever held in New York City, and it opened for private
viewing on March 9th and to the general public on March I2th. The
exhibits were in some measure loaned by foreign and American sculp-
tors and medallists as well as by many of the collectors of prominence.
The Hispanic Society had erected a temporary stucco building which
filled the gap which existed between its own museum and that of the
Numismatic Society. This was the main exhibition hall, and approxi-
mately 2400 pieces were arranged in these as well as in a portion of the
cases on the main floor of the Society's building. The remaining cases
on the main floor and all the cases on the second floor of the Society's
building were used for the display of objects from the Society's col-
lections. The loan exhibition consisted of works of contemporary me-
dallists with the single exception of one case of medals of the Renais-
sance loaned by J. Pierpont Morgan. Three separate catalogues were
prepared for this exhibition by Agnes Baldwin. The first dealt with the
coins, the second with the older medals and jetons, and the third
166 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
described the works of the contemporary medallists which were on
display. As of March 2oth, when the exhibition had been open for
only eight days, the attendance was reported as 3,240 in the Annex
and 2,454 in the Society's building. By the final day of the display,
April 1st, a total of 5,547 people had visited the showings.
The invitation which had been sent to the contributors had con-
tained the announcement by the Exhibition Committee that the
sculptor whose exhibit might be deemed to have been most successful
by the Committee of Award should be named as Commemorative
Medallist for the year 1910 and receive a commission for a medal, the
original models and dies of which were to become the sole property
of the Society. The cost of this medal was not to exceed $3,000. The
Committee of Award was certainly a distinguished one, including
Edward D. Adams, A. Piatt Andrew, Director of the United States
Mint, John W. Alexander, President of the National Academy of
Design, Herman A. MacNeil, President of the National Sculpture So-
ciety, Herbert Adams and Daniel Chester French, former Presidents
of the National Sculpture Society, and Thomas Hastings, a well known
architect. These men awarded the prize to Godefroid Devreese, a
Belgian medallist of great renown. Devreese designed a commemora-
tive medal for the Exhibition which was struck in bronze for the So-
ciety's cabinet, but which it must be admitted is not among his best
works.52
At the conclusion of the exhibition the objects that had been on
loan were packed and shipped to the respective visitors. The fate of
those medals which had been purchased by the Society at the Exhi-
bition and which the Customs regulation required to be shipped
abroad for reimportation and a few pieces from the English exhibitors
is of great interest. These objects were shipped aboard the ill-fated
S.S. Minnehaha which was lost off the Scilly Islands, and they were
reported as a total loss. Happily the pieces were insured, and the ex-
hibitors had been paid for the medals already purchased so that all that
had to be done was to collect from the insurance companies and replace
these medals. Of course the English exhibitors were reimbursed for their
losses.53 By December of the year in which the Minnehaha was lost the
first consignment of replacement medals and plaques was received
1905-1915 167
from Paris, as well as all but one from Germany and all from Belgium.
The final step in the history of the International Exhibition of Contem-
porary Medals was taken when Agnes Baldwin, in 1911, published a
very ornately illustrated revised catalogue of the exhibition.54 A com-
plimentary copy was sent to each exhibitor.
One exhibition held by the Society during this period of vigorous
activity is particularly interesting because it is totally removed from
the field of numismatics. At the Annual Meeting in January 19n, Mr.
Huntington, as Chairman of the Committee on Papers and Exhibitions,
announced that arrangements were being made for an exhibition of
the work of Prince Paul Troubetzkoy, one of the foremost European
sculptors. It was originally planned to hold this exhibition in the tem-
porary building within which the main portion of the International
Exhibition of Contemporary Medals had been held, but it was found
impossible to get just the right light to show the bronzes to the best
effect. The Hispanic Society offered to place its main hall at the dis-
posal of the American Numismatic Society, and so the exhibition was
held there.55 Huntington at the same time presented a portrait of
Troubetzkoy done by Sorolla y Bastida. For this, of course, he re-
ceived the thanks of the Society, and the portrait until very recent
years hung in the office of the Secretary.
Troubetzkoy's sculptures56 show characteristics all their own that
attracted comment in the press. His fashionable women stood extreme-
ly tall and thin with swan-likes necks. The exhibition was popular from
the very start; on February 8, 1911, a private viewing was held and
then it was opened to the general public. Within the first week it was
attended by 5,213 visitors, and by the time that it closed on March
12th a total of 23,665 persons had come. During the same period
8,262 visited the Society's museum. But the closing of the exhibition at
the Hispanic Society was not the last step because the art works were
sent to the Albright Art Galleries in Buffalo for display. Of course a
catalogue of the sculpture was prepared and issued. This catalogue
contained an introduction by Christian Brinton which not only told
of the life of the artist but also gave a critical analysis of his work.57
In 1912, the Society presented an exhibition of private gold coins
which had been struck in California, Oregon, Utah, and Colorado.
168 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
This was duly reported in the local press.58 Later in the same year
medals, plaques, and drawings by Giovanni Cariati were put before
the public through the agency of the Society. Belden apparently did
a great deal of the planning for this particular occasion; the exhibition
began with a private showing on November 16, 1912, and was opened
to the public the following day.59
Cariati, who had shown promise as a poet, painter, illustrator, and
sculptor, had become interested in the art if the medal about 1903,
while still a very young man. He had risen gradually in the ranks of
contemporary medallists and had shown his works at the Esposizione
"Pro Museo Segantini," Galleria Grubicy, Paris, and at the Salon in
1906. In 1909, a special exposition of his works was held at the Espo-
sizione Italiana at Milan, and a few of his works had appeared at the
International Medallic Exhibition of the American Numismatic So-
ciety. Cariati had just come to reside in New York and this was the
first time that any considerable number of his works had been put on
exhibition in this country. His works had been published in a series
of catalogues, but he must have been relatively unknown to the New
York collectors.60 Consequently, it was at the urging of Cariati himself
that this particular exhibition was held, and it was distinctly under-
stood that he was assuming all risks and expenses involved in the
transportation and handling as well as the care of the display.61
Cariati, however, was unable to complete his preparations by the
time set for the exposition, and the opening was delayed until De-
cember nth. A catalogue of the entire exhibition was issued by the
Society in the same format as the one for the Troubetzkoy display.62
Naturally, a notice of the exhibition appeared in the local press, and
since Cariati had come from Italy so recently his display formed the
subject of a long article in the local Italian language press.63
In November 1912, Dr. George F. Kunz, on behalf of the American
Scenic and Historic Preservation Society, of which he was President,
suggested an exhibition in the Society's building of medals and other
objects of interest relating to Joan of Arc. This proposal was accepted,
and the display was scheduled for early in the next year. The expo-
sition was actually a joint enterprise of the Joan of Arc Statue Com-
mittee for The Museum of French Art, The French Institute in the
1905-1915 I69
United States, and The American Numismatic Society. Engravings,
drawings, photographs, stamps, letters, statuary bronzes, coins, and
medals, as well as some books and pamphlets were displayed. A com-
plete catalogue of the exhibition was printed including the intro-
ductory remarks made by Kunz, C.B. Stover, Commissioner of Parks
of New York City, and many others including an address read for the
French Ambassador.64
As originally planned the exhibition was to be open until February
7th, but because of its importance and popularity, it was slightly pro-
longed. The displays, of course, came from a number of different
sources, and Saltus seized the opportunity to send 221 medals of
Saint Joan to the Society as a gift.65 Such an exhibit had great public
appeal and the newspapers devoted considerable space to it.66 Shortly
after the exposition closed in New York the objects from the Society's
own collection were loaned to the Brooklyn Museum, and later in the
year to the Boston Public Library for still another display.
The most interesting feature about this exhibition was the fact that
it was so intimately connected with the work of the Joan of Arc Statue
Committee. Some three years earlier a group of prominent citizens had
joined together for the purpose of erecting such a statue to comme-
morate the five-hundredth anniversary of the birth of St. Joan. The
arrival of that quincentenary, of course, had stimulated a great deal of
artistic work relating to her life. Miss Anna Vaughn Hyatt, who later
became Mrs. Archer M. Huntington, was one of the well known
sculptresses who commemorated the event. In January 1913 her
equestrian statue of the Maid of Orleans was displayed in the Salon
des Artistes in Paris.67 Miss Hyatt was chosen to design and to execute
another equestrian statue of St. Joan leading her forces, to be placed
on an eminence overlooking the Hudson Valley at Riverside Drive
and 93rd Street. Stone from the Rouen dungeon in which Joan of Arc
had been imprisoned was purchased and brought to this country by
J. Sanford Saltus, John W. Alexander, and George F. Kunz to serve
as the pedestal for the magnificent statue.68
The participation of the American Numismatic Society in the quin-
centennial celebration of the birth of the Maid of Orleans did not end
with the exposition and the prominent part played by certain members
170 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
in the erection of the statue. A short glance into a later part of the
history of the Society reveals a beautiful medal designed by Anna
Vaughn Hyatt which shows the figure of St. Joan in armor on the
obverse and her banner followed by seried penants on the reverse.69
At the suggestion of the Committee on Papers and Exhibitions, an
exhibition of United States and Colonial coins was held at the Society's
building for a month beginning in January 1914. Preparations started
the preceding October, and many of the finest collections in the country
were represented as well as a selection of pieces from the Society's
cabinet. Extra help was employed in the preparation of the catalogue
of the exhibition which was well illustrated.70 In 1908, the Society had
issued a medal in honor of Archer M. Huntington, which will be
discussed at a later point in this chapter. A copy in bronze was presented
to each of the collectors who displayed pieces at this exhibition. In
addition 1000 copies of the catalogue were printed, and a copy was
sent to every exhibitor. The press throughout the country recorded this
display which dealt with a topic of such general interest as American
coinage.71
One month later still another exposition was held, this time relating
to paper money. The exhibition was to last from March 26 to May 15,
1914. On this occasion there was no attempt made to prepare a cata-
logue, but once again the individual exhibitors were presented with
bronze copies of the Huntington medal.72 The widely scattered no-
tices in the press which continued to appear even after the exhibition
had closed may be taken as a measure of its success. It is significant that
even though an examination of those press reports shows that the entire
program enjoyed great success, there was a gradual decline in the time
devoted to this subject by the Council and the general membership.
In some cases, such as the Mexican Coin Exhibit which was also held
in 1914, we would be completely ignorant of the very existence of that
event if it were not for the newspaper accounts. There is no evidence
that this exhibition ever was made the subject of a discussion or a re-
solution. Apparently it had become a matter of mere form to hold and
to prepare these displays. In any event there can be no doubt that the
Mexican Coin Exhibit was clearly overshadowed by one on contem-
porary Paper Money.73 The exhibit of Indian Peace Medals in 1915
1905-1915 171
is known only from a series of newspaper articles.74 The same is true of
the exhibition of Bismark medals held that year.75
The years from 1914 to 1918 were those of the World War. Virtually
all the world stood arrayed in arms on one side or the other, and every-
body was affected by the turn of events on the battlefield. Mr. and Mrs.
Huntington were caught in Europe at the start of the war, and to their
great embarrassment were arrested by the Germans and held as spies.
Apparently the Germans conducted a most thorough search of the
persons and effects of the Huntingtons and managed to discover a
series of maps which they considered quite compromising. The prob-
able explanation for the existence of these maps in Huntington's
possession was his membership in the Aero Club. At any rate after a
great deal of discomfort Mr. and Mrs. Huntington were released by
the Germans.76 The Society, of course, held exhibitions which would
cater to the public interest in the warring powers. During the period
of American neutrality there was first an exhibition of the medals and
insignia of bravery of the nations at war, and later another display
which was devoted to American decorations from the beginning of the
Republic down to 1915.77 These were entirely in keeping with the
spirit of the times and were well attended. A spate of publicity followed
in their wake.
During the period covered by this chapter, the Society was instru-
mental in the production of medallic works of art as well as in their
display. Even in 1905 a suggestion had been put forward to have the
organization produce a medal in honor of the unveiling of the equestrian
statue of George Washington placed at the entrance to the new Brook-
lyn Bridge. Nothing, however, came of this proposal though the matter
was discussed with the committee in charge.
A year later the United States Government sent a naval squadron to
France to return the remains of John Paul Jones for permanent inter-
ment in a specially constructed crypt at the U.S. Naval Academy in
Annapolis. The Committee on the Publication of Medals felt that the
occasion was important enough to warrant deviating from the chrono-
logical scheme for the issue of historical medals. The plan for such a
medal was carried out with dispatch, being facilitated by the fact that
Victor D. Brenner had taken up residence in Paris during the period
172 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
when the international ceremonies took place. His services were em-
ployed, and with a fine sense of propriety the actual striking was done
at the Paris Mint. The medal was issued in the form of a plaquette,
the obverse of which was particularly successful and pleasing. An
original bust done from life by Jean-Antoine Houdon which was
owned by a member of the Society served as the model. Above the
inscription JOHN PAUL JONES /. 1749.1792. the head of the hero
was beautifully worked in high relief with a laurel branch extending
diagonally behind it and a small shield with an anchor in the lower
left field. The reverse showed Fame blowing a trumpet and proclaim-
ing, in the words of the Special Ambassador of the United States, when
formally delivering the remains of John Paul Jones to the American
Government, AMERICA CLAIMS HER ILLVSTRIOVS DEAD. These words
were inscribed across the top of the field. In the background the dome
of the chapel of the Naval Academy could be faintly seen while in front
there was the scene of the funeral procession of July 6, 1905, when the
gun-carriage bier, decorated with the flags of France and the United
States, was drawn through the avenues of Paris by the horses of the
French artillery and escorted by sailors from the visiting squadron of
the American Navy.
A single gold copy of this medal was issued for a prominent member
of the Society and 100 others were struck in silver with yet another 100
in bronze. This gold piece as well as many of the other unique gold
copies of medals issued by the Society later appeared in the J. P. Mor-
gan Collection, and it may be presumed that they were struck for him.
Only the single gold piece was not struck at the Paris Mint. A copy in
silver was presented to General Horace Porter, a former Ambassador
to France, and another to the United States Naval Academy. Of
course the Society itself placed one bronze piece and one silver in its
own trays. The remainder were offered for subscription in December
1906 at a price of $10 for the silver and $8 for the bronze specimens.7*
This plaquette was the thirteenth medal which owed its existence
to the Society, and it inaugurated a period of great medallic production.
By 1913, the number of medallic pieces issued by the Society had been
doubled. More important, however, than the mere number of the
medals is the artistic merit of many and the fact that their issuance by
Medal Commemorating Drake's Landing on the West Coast of America (1579)
Archer Milton Huntington Medal
V
a

o
z
a
s
1905-1915 173
the Society brought certain questions to the fore. The monetary value
of many of the medals was dependent upon the fact that only a limited
number had been struck, and the dies had then been boldly cancelled
by a deep chisel mark across the face. For the collector such cancellation
was very desirable because it enhanced the value of the specimens in
his cabinet, but for the artist it was more in the nature of sacrilege. Vic-
tor D. Brenner took this matter up in connection with the John Paul
Jones medal upon his return from Europe in January, 1907. At that
time he wrote to the Society and proposed that in the future all dies
be kept in a cabinet without mutilation to any of the surfaces but with
a label attached indicating when and how many pieces had been struck
from the die. He felt that this would afford sufficient protection to the
subscribers and at the same time preserve the work of the diesinker
unimpaired for the examination and study of those who might be
interested in his technique and skill.79 At the Annual Meeting in 1907,
Brenner put his proposal in the form of a motion. Weeks, with a deeper
sense of the feelings of the collector, amended the resolution so that all
medals struck by the Society were to be cancelled in some minor way
that would not destroy their artistic merit, and the resolution passed
in that form. Since that time, however, only a very few of the dies
of the Society's medals have been cancelled in any way. The vast
majority of the dies have simply been retired to the trays of the col-
lection.
Even before the planning for the John Paul Jones medal was begun,
a project involving the production of a medal in honor of Sir Francis
Drake had been undertaken. By November 1905, the Chairman of the
Committee on Publication of Medals stated that it was the intention
to publish the Drake medal in the fall or early winter, and a medal for
John Paul Jones in the spring. In actual fact, as we have seen, the John
Paul Jones medal was issued earlier and appeared in 1906, while the
Drake piece was not struck until 1907.
The Drake medal itself is worthy of description. It was designed and
executed by Professor Rudolf Marshall, Royal Medallist to the Court
of Austria. It was clearly understood that historical accuracy should
dominate artistic sentiment in his design. As in the case of the John
Paul Jones medal, one specimen was issued in gold and 100 each in
174 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
silver and bronze. The striking was done at the Austrian Mint in
Vienna, and the individual copies were numbered serially.
On June 17, 1579, Sir Francis Drake cast anchor and landed on the
Pacific Coast of North America on the shore of what is now known as
Drake's Bay, near the 38th parallel of latitude in northern California.
He claimed possession of the country for the crown of England in the
name of Queen Elizabeth and called it "Nova Albion." Thus it came
about that Drake had actually located a "New England" on the
Pacific Coast some forty years before the Pilgrim Fathers established
their permanent settlement at Plymouth. According to the tradition
which has been passed down, Drake stayed there for some short time,
and the first religious service of the Church of England was celebrated
there on St. John the Baptist's Day, June 24, 1579, by Francis Flet-
cher, Priest of the Church of England and Chaplain of Sir Francis
Drake. A California monument now records that this was the "First
Christian Service in the English Tongue on our Coast" and the "First
use of the Book of Common Prayer in our Country."
Abraham Janssens had done an oil painting of Sir Francis Drake
from life, and that painting had been preserved continuously in the
possession of his family at Buckland Abbey, Devonshire. Through the
courtesy of Lady Drake a series of photographs were obtained of that
portrait. On the obverse of the medal the bust of Sir Francis appears
with the inscription above it reading SIR FRANCIS DRAKE 1540-1596.
In the lower left corner appear the oak leaves from the seal of
the Society and the date 1907, while in the lower right field there is a
facsimile of the signature of Rudolf Marschall. The reverse of the piece
was dedicated to the fact that Sir Francis Drake was the first English
circumnavigator of the globe. A celebrated silver medal or rather a
silver map of the world nearly three inches in diameter exists, stamped
in imitation of an engraving on a thin circular plate showing on each
side an outline of one of the hemispheres with a dotted line indicating
the probable course of Drake's expedition. This map is thought to
have been prepared shortly after Drake's return to England. The
original is now in the British Museum, and a facsimile of the side show-
ing the Western Hemisphere was used for the reverse of this medal.
Only four specimens of the original map are now known to exist, and
1905-1915 175
one is preserved in the possession of the Drake family "in a little old
black shagreen case, just as the first Sir Francis had itcarried about
in his pocket, may be, to show to curious questioners where his ship
had sailed." In the lower left of the map on the medal issued by the
Society the inscription reads IN COMMEMORATION OF THE / NORTH-
WESTERN COAST OF AMERICA / BY THE / FIRST ENGLISH CIRCUMNAVI-
GATOR / A.D. 1579.80
During the course of the preparation of the Drake medal a number of
other projects were started. Some few of these were successfully carried
to completion. Among those was the preparation of a pin and badge
of membership in the Society. This device consisted of a reduced model
of the seal of the Society designed by Victor D. Brenner, suspended
from a single oak leaf bearing two acorns. The reverse was completely
epigraphic and bore the inscription MDCCCLVIH around the top and
MCMVHI at the bottom while across the field ran the legend .APRIL.
VI.. President Huntington wore this badge in a unique copy which
was struck in gold and presented to him. The other members of the
Council received the badge in silver and wore it at meetings. One
hundred bronze copies were prepared without the clasp and attach-
ment for suspension so that they might be presented to guests at anni-
versary meetings.81
Archer M. Huntington had been the donor of the land on which the
Society's building was to stand, and the very building itself owed its
existence to President Huntington's generosity in giving and in loaning
money to the organization. At the Fiftieth Anniversary Meeting on
April 6, 1908, as has been mentioned, a note from the Society for a loan
of $25,000 was cancelled by Huntington and changed into a gift. The
Society was thereby freed from all indebtedness, and, of course, it was
only proper that some step should be taken to indicate the deep feel-
ings of the members towards Huntington for his generous gift. At the
suggestion of George F. Kunz a resolution was unanimously adopted
providing for a Huntington medal.82 Various proposals were put
forward as to the form and design of the piece. Victor D. Brenner sug-
gested a design for the obverse with a portrait and the full name in-
scribed in the rim and perhaps some small inscription in the center
field indicating the fact of Huntington's Presidency in 1908, opposite the
176 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
seal of the Society. For the reverse he proposed the building
within a wreath with the inscription The American Numismatic Society
Celebrated Its Fiftieth Anniversary, Apr. 1858-1908.^ Brenner, it seems,
was premature in his desire to design this medal because it is ap-
parent from the correspondence that he had never been commission-
ed to prepare models. As soon as Edward D. Adams was informed of the
correspondence between Belden and Brenner, he quickly contacted
Belden about the matter.84 Belden had obtained a photograph of
Huntington and when the question of a medal arose he had transmitted
that picture to Brenner to see if a medal could be made from it. He had
supposed that Brenner was the logical medallist for the work; and, as
far as he was aware, even though no definitive arrangements had been
made, it seemed quite certain that Brenner expected to design the
piece.85 The committee charged with the duty of producing the medal,
however, wished to choose another medallist as part of their program
of encouraging the development of the art by using different artists.86
The impasse was finally broken when Brenner wrote to Adams that
"After having done a certain amount of work (on the Huntington
Medal) I could find no one of the gentlemen interested willing to
take up the responsibility of the medal and in consequence have des-
troyed all the studies I had at the time of my removal to my present
quarters."87 The Medal Committee was now free to pursue its object
in its own fashion. In the meantime, Huntington had expressed himself
as opposed to the use of his portrait in the design. The committee
was therefore faced with the problem of producing such a medal in
accordance with the resolution which specifically called for such a
design but modifying it in such a way as to make it acceptable to
Huntington.88
Emil Fuchs of London, a popular medallist who had prepared pieces
in honor of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII, Queen Alexandra, the
Prince and Princess of Wales, Prince Henry of Battenberg, a widely
circulated Coronation Medal which reached an issue of 980,000
pieces, a Science, Art and Music Medal, and the South African War
Medal, was retained to prepare the design.89 Fuchs had already done
two pieces for the Hispanic Society of America, and it was therefore
quite certain that his work was admired by Huntington.
1905-1915 177
Once the choice of an artist was made the way was clear to produce
the medal. A subscription campaign was begun, and eighty-five mem-
bers of the Society contributed a total of $1,094.73 to defray the cost.
One copy was struck in gold, which was presented to President Hunt-
ington. Eleven were issued in silver; one for the trays of the Society and
ten to serve as appropriate gifts to those who had done outstanding
work in the science of numismatics.90 Bronze copies were offered for
sale.
The obverse of the finished piece shows two male figures standing on
each side of a coin-press; in front of them a figure of still a third man
examining a coin through a glass. Above this scene is the inscription
ARCHER MILTON HUNTINGTON MEDAL. The reverse contains a full-
length female figure holding a scroll upon which is a representation
of the Society's building and the inscription in seven lines, IN /
COMMEMORATION / OF THE / FIFTIETH / ANNIVERSARY / OF THE /
AMERICAN / NUMISMATIC SOCIETY. In the field to the left the date 1858
appears and to the right the date 1907. Above this scene there is the in-
scription THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY, and in an annulet in
the exergue there is the seal of the organization.91
The bronze copies of this piece which were not sold to the members
and private purchasers had their function. We have seen that they
were distributed to the various exhibitors at the expositions held under
the auspices of the Society. The medal is one of the most handsome
issued by the Society, and it spoke well for the group, the artist, and
the New York firm of Whitehead & Hoag Co. which struck the piece.
In 1909, a unique opportunity was presented to the City of New
York. This year marked the Tricentennial Anniversary of the dis-
covery of the Hudson River by Henry Hudson in his ship the Half
Moon, and the centennial anniversary of the application of steam to
navigation on that river by Robert Fulton in his Clermont. The birth
of the idea for a magnificent joint celebration of these events in an
educational display has been carefully traced in the two volumes
issued as the report of the Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission.92
Such a celebration would naturally call for the issuance of an entire
series of official insignia and publications. Among the insignia which
received an official status was a medal produced at the behest of the
12
178 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
American Numismatic Society. By agreement between the Com-
mission and the Society it was decided that a medal designed by Emil
Fuchs and issued by the Society, bearing the seals of both groups,
would be struck in various metals and sizes and would serve as the
official souvenir of the entire celebration. Under the terms of the
agreement, two copies were to be struck in gold, one to be given to the
President of the Society and the other to the President of the Metro-
politan Museum of Art. One hundred specimens were to be issued in
silver, to be supplied to the first 1 oo members of the Society applying
for them. These last examples were to be serially numbered. After the
issue of these 102 medals the dies were to be surrendered to the Com-
mission for their use. The Commission in turn offered to return the
dies to the Society after they had struck off the pieces they required.
Before these dies came to their final depository in the vaults of the
Society a total of 124,698 medals had been struck from them by the
Commission.93
The Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission had a Medal Com-
mittee of its own, with Henry W. Cannon as Chairman and Edward
D. Adams of the American Numismatic Society as Vice-Chairman. In
their absence Archer M. Huntington served as Vice-Chairman.
Studies for the preparation of this piece were actually begun by the
Society's Committee on the Publication of Medals in 1908. A great
deal of care was taken to insure historical accuracy, and eminent
authorities in various fields were consulted before the actual design
was finished. The obverse shows Henry Hudson and a group of sailors
on the Half Moon watching the hoisting of some heavy article from
outside the ship. Perhaps this is a reference to an event in the ship's log
which speaks of sending for fresh water and the return of a boat with
an abundance of fresh fish. In the background there is a faint suggestion
of the high banks of the Hudson River, while in a panel at the bottom
there is a view of the ship itself with her Dutch name HALVE MAENE.
Encircling the upper margin is the inscription DISCOVERY OF O HUDSON
RIVER BY o HENRY HUDSON o A.D. MDCIX. In the annulets dividing the
legend are an astrolabe, jack-staff, and sextant. On the lower left, below
a circle bearing the seal of the Society, is the inscription THE AMERICAN /
NUMISMATIC SOCIETY, and on the right, below a similar circle with
1905-1915 179
the seal of the Commission, there is the inscription HUDSON-FULTON /
CELEBRATION COMM. The artist's name appears below a coil of rope.
The reverse is, of course, devoted to Fulton's use of steam. A classical
technique was utilized in this design which shows a parapet extending
across the field from which two columns with fluted bases rise. From
each end of the parapet sculptured bands follow the curve of the rim
until they join the columns. In the opening at the left there is a view
of New York as seen from the Hudson in 1807 and on the right a view
of the New York skyline as seen from New Jersey about 1909. Between
the columns hangs a portrait of the inventor of the steamship below
which is the inscription ROBERT FULTON / 1765 1815. In the foreground,
seated in front of the columns are three draped figures: the one in the
center represents the genius of Steam Navigation and holds a model of
the Clermont in her lap, to the right is the personification of History
with a scroll across her lap and a pen in her right hand, to the left is
Commerce resting her right hand on an anchor. In the exergue there
is the three line inscription FIRST USE OF STEAM IN NAVIGATION / ON
THE HUDSON RIVER / 1807. The name of E. Fuchs appears on the step
below the feet of History.
Fuchs went to a great deal of trouble to insure the accuracy of de-
tail; he made several trips to Holland to obtain official sanction for
his representation of the vessel, the instruments of navigation, the dress
of the mariners, the ships' rigging, and even the spelling of the name.
This last caused some difficulty. In many records, Hudson's Christian
name is given as Heinrick, but, because of the evidence that he was an
Englishman and because his name was written as Henry three times
in the contract for his employment by the Dutch East India Company
and was signed that way on the paper, even though the contract itself
was in Dutch, Fuchs used the English form. "The proper spelling of the
name of the vessel was not so readily determined. The publications of
Holland spelled the name 'Halve Maen,' but it was admitted that
the ancient form, and that undoubtedly used when Captain Hudson
sailed from Amsterdam, was 'Halve Maene.' Having the highest
naval authority for this latter form of spelling, the dies for the medal
were prepared accordingly. When about to strike the first medals,
papers were received from Holland illustrating the floating of the new
it*
180 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
'Half Moon' in Amsterdam, and describing the details of her con-
struction and shipment to New York. In all these accounts her name
was spelled 'Halve Maen.' Although in great haste to make a timely
issue, the striking of the medals was immediately suspended, awaiting
a cable answer to the inquiry as to how the name was spelled upon the
ship sent here. The cable answer from the Dutch authority was reas-
suring, as he not only reasserted his previous statement in favor of the
final y as the form prevailing in 1609, but gave the information that
the name would not be upon the ship at all. Upon the arrival of the
'Half Moon' a careful inspection was made, and it was found, as is
sometimes done in other departments of human activities, that the old
adage 'When in doubt, do nothing' had apparently been availed of,
as, sure enough, the stern was decorated with a design of a new or
crescent moon, but without any text in ancient or modern form to
assure us, notwithstanding any possible doubts, that the design really
represented the 'Half Moon.'"
The same difficulties were inherent in the representation of the
Clermont. Pictures of the Port of New York available in the various mu-
seums provided the best sources. Old records revealed that the final
successful Clermont had gone through a number of changes in the lo-
cation of the paddle-wheel, the smoke-stack, the number of masts and
their rigging. Even after the plaster design of the medal was completed
and delivered to the diesinker, it was twice altered as changes were
successively made in the construction of the replica of the ship.
Only the portrait of Robert Fulton can be considered accurate. It
was reproduced from a painting by Benjamin West, then in possession
of Robert Fulton Ludlow, the inventor's grandson. A most diligent
search at the British Museum, various museums in Holland, and in the
records of the various companies which employed Hudson, revealed that
there was no truly authentic portrait of him. Hence the decision not to
use any representation which might be confusing to future historians.
Aside from the two gold pieces struck while the dies were in the
possession of the Society and the 100 silver pieces sold to members of the
Society, the Commission presented a specimen in virgin Alaskan gold
to the heads of nations participating in the celebration. Other copies
in silver, silver plated hard metal, bronze and aluminum were distri-
Medal Commemorating Hudson-Fulton Celebration
Medal in Honor of Grover Cleveland
Medal Commemorating the Opening of the New Theatre
Members MedalAmerican Numismatic Society
190S-1915 I8I
buted to various other participants. Some specimens in bronze and all
of those in aluminum were made available for public sale.94
In the same year as the Hudson-Fulton Celebration, work on two
other medals was begun. The first was a plaquette to commemorate
the death of President Grover Cleveland in 1908, and the second was
a medal celebrating the centennial of the establishment of the Archdio-
cese of New York. Both were the designs of Jules Edouard Roine, who,
like Victor D. Brenner, was not only a well known sculptor and medal-
list, but also a member of the Society.95 As originally planned, the
Cleveland plaquette was to be struck in two copies in gold, one to be
retained by the Society, and one hundred serially numbered silver
specimens to be distributed to members. The bronze copies were to be
placed on sale for the general public.96 In actual fact, however, there
were only fifty silver specimens and one hundred bronzes struck.
The design itself cannot be considered one of the best to have
been issued under the auspices of the Society, but it does mark
the first time that the Medallic Art Company was asked to cut the
dies. The obverse shows a half length portrait of Cleveland seated,
facing right. Above the head appears the legend GROVER CLEVELAND
and in the upper right field a wreath of ivy enclosing the words VOX
POPULI which refers to his election as Mayor of the City of Buffalo,
Governor of the State of New York and twice as President of the United
States. Below the entire scene there is an ivy wreath enclosing the seal
of the Society and the dates MDCCCXXXVII* MDCCCVIII*. The reverse
shows the seated female figure of Democracy with her face upturned
to the right as if reading the inscription PVBLIC. OFFICE / A. PUBLIC.
TRVST taken from Cleveland's address of October 25, 1881, when
accepting the nomination as Mayor of the City of Buffalo. The figure
of Democracy holds in her upraised left hand a starred sphere represent-
ing the States of the Union and supports her right hand on the tables
of the law, which are framed by the fasces of authority. On the supports
of the chair on which Democracy is seated are the words PAX and LABOR,
while in the dim distance are to be seen a classic building with a pedi-
ment and columns as well as a column surmounted by an eagle with
outstretched wings. At the bottom is the inscription *PRESIDENT* /
MDCCCLXXXXIII.
182 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
The medal by Roine to celebrate the centennial of the Archdiocese of
New York is of much better design. In the center of this medal is the
bust of Archbishop Farley facing left with the inscription JOHN M
FARLEY ABP surrounded by a wreath. The border around this por-
trait shows the busts of the other seven prelates who had held the
diocesan office and inscribed around them as a border to the piece
are their names. Above the portrait of the presiding Archbishop is to
be seen the dove of the Holy Spirit descending, as in so many mediae-
val reliefs. At the bottom of the medal there is the representation of the
pectoral cross and to the left between the bust of Bishop Dubois and
Bishop Concanon the seal of the Society. In the foreground of the reverse
there is a representation of the gothic structure of St. Patrick's Cathedral,
while dimly in the background on the sides are representations of St.
Peter's Church of 1808, in Barclay Street, and St. Patrick's Church on
Mott Street, consecrated in 1815. The entire scene is encircled by a
wreath which is broken at the four cardinal points to enclose at the top
arms of Pope Pius X, on the right the arms of Archbishop Farley, at the
bottom the arms of Pope Pius VII, and at the left the coat of arms of the
Archdiocese of New York. The legend running around the wreath reads
CENTENARY OF THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE DIOCESE OF NEW YORK.
One specimen of this medal was issued in gold and presented to
Pope Pius X. Serially numbered silver and bronze specimens were
issued running from 1 to 101 in each metal. The first of each series was
presented to Archbishop Farley while the rest were offered to the
members of the Society and later to the general public. Other medals
from these dies which were not numbered were issued by the Roman
Catholic authorities of the City of New York.97
Both pieces, though they are far from the finest medallic works pro-
duced by the Society, enjoyed great success. The one honoring the
Archdiocese of New York was reported in the press in some detail.98
In 1914, requests were made of the Society that large castings be per-
mitted of the Cleveland Plaque to be placed in a big boulder at the
entrance to Cleveland Road at Tamworth, New Hampshire, as well as
for a tablet on the Grover Cleveland Home at Caldwell, New Jersey,
and for the new high school building named in his honor in Cranford,
New Jersey. This action was approved.
1905-1915 183
No sooner had Roine completed his work on these two pieces than
he was asked to prepare a suitable plaque to commemorate the cen-
tenary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. This uniface piece shows a
full length figure of Abraham Lincoln seated at a table facing right
with a quill pen in hand. It would seem to be an obvious allusion to
the Great Emancipator preparing or signing the proclamation freeing
the slaves in the territories in rebellion. A winged figure of Fame bear-
ing a branch of a tree in the left hand hovers before the President and
crowns him with a wreath of laurel. In the upper left corner of the
plaque is the seal of the Society and below the scene the inscription
1809 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 1909."
The dies for this piece were cut by Whitehead & Hoag Go. Two
copies were issued in gold, seventy-five in silver and one hundred in
bronze. A very impressive large copy in bronze is presently decorating
one of the walls of the Society's building.
In the same year, 1909, the New Theatre at Central Park West and
62nd Street was opened, and since the event was widely heralded, the
Society took the occasion to issue a commemorative piece. The medal,
designed by Bela L. Pratt, who designed the half and quarter eagles of
1908, is perhaps not one of the better medallic issues of the Society. On
the obverse is a seated figure of a nude female holding a mirror. To the
left of the figure in vertical fashion is the date, 1909, and to the right
the six line inscription THE / NEW / THEATRE / OF / NEW / YORK, below
which is the seal of the Society. The reverse shows a full length stand-
ing female figure holding a tablet horizontally with both hands. From
the tablet is suspended a garland. The base on which the figure stands
is inscribed, 1909, and to either side there is a smoking Roman lamp.
A curtain extends down from the upper part of the piece and is drawn
aside to the right and left by nude children.100
One specimen of this medal was struck in gold for the proprietor of
the New Theatre and presented to Ellen Terry. Fifty were issued in
silver and fifty in bronze for subscribers. It would seem obvious from
the small size of the issue that this particular piece evoked no great
response from the members or other collectors.
It will be remembered that in 1876 the Society had issued a member-
ship medal, and that occasional specimens were struck from the dies
184 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
cut by George H. Lovett as the new members desired them. With the
change in the name of the Society in 1907 and the new design of the
seal, it was no longer practical to utilize these old dies. As a result, in
1910, Gutzon Borglum, the famous American sculptor and medallist,
was commissioned to design the new membership medal. The simplic-
ity and fine modelling of the piece are quite impressive. The obverse
shows a nude male figure with his back to the spectator examining a
portrait medallion which he is holding; his head, slightly inclined to
the left and downwards, permits a glimpse of the medallion in his hands.
The left arm is extended and holds the medallion, while the right arm
is concealed by the position of the body. In the right field is the
inscription FOUNDED / IN / NEW YORK / MDCCCLVIII and in the left
field the initials G.B. On the reverse, at the top are two branches of
oak and at the bottom, with space below for the member's name, two
branches of laurel bound with a ribbon. Between these oak and laurel
branches is the six line inscription THE / AMERICAN / NVMISMATIC
SOCIETY / PARVA-NE-PEREANT / MEMBER'S MEDAL / 1910. The dies for
this piece, which were prepared by Tiffany & Co., were a gift of
Sanford Saltus.101
During the International Medallic Exhibition, which has already
been described, it was decided that the Committee of Award should
establish a prize in the form of a commission to prepare a medal. The
actual preparation of this piece consumed about a year and a half, and
it was only at the Annual Meeting of 1912 that Godefroid Devreese,
the commemorative medallist, presented his work.102 The medal shows
a female figure representing America with a laurel branch in the right
hand and the United States flag in her left, standing on a globe and
facing a nude male figure holding a lyre in the left hand while extending
his right hand toward America. The nude male is reclining on a
slowly rising cloud below which, in the left field, is the legend THE/
AMERICAN/NUMISMATIC/SOCIETY. On the reverse there is a draped
female figure being borne swiftly to the right on the back of an eagle
which is flying through a cloud bank. In the left hand this figure holds
a flaming torch which gives forth rays inscribed LIBERTY. Below the
entire scene is the four line legend INTERNATIONAL/ MEDALLIC
EXHIBITION/NEWYORK/1910.103 To say the least, the idea involved
1905-1915 185
in the design of this piece is obscure, and its exact iconographical
significance is elusive. This is rather surprising because other medallic
works by the same artist are far superior, and Devreese was at one
point commissioned to design some of the coins for his native Belgium,
as well as for the Republic of Haiti.104
Despite the questionable nature of the commemorative medal, when
in 1913 J. Sanford Saltus established the Saltus Medal Award, some
consideration was given to the suggestion that the obverse of the
Devreese piece be utilized as the obverse of the newer prize. The
Council discussed the matter and eventually rejected the proposal,
settling on a new design by A. A. Weinman.
Devreese, however, did design still another piece which was issued
under the auspices of the Society. At the International Numismatic
Congress held in Brussels in 1910 it was decided at the suggestion of
Archer M. Huntington that a medal should be issued in honor of
Ernest Babelon who had acted as President of the Congress. This piece
was struck under the joint auspices of the Societe Hollandaise-Belge
des Amis de la Medaille d'Art and the American Numismatic Society.
On the obverse there is a clothed bust in profile of Ernest Babelon
with the legend ERNEST BABELON DEL'INSTITUT, and in the right
field G. DEVREESE / 1910. Only the obverse of this medal was by Devreese,
and he utilized a reducing machine in cutting the die from a large
model. The die for the reverse of this piece was prepared by Rudolf
Bosselt by the older process of engraving directly on the block of
steel. Bosselt, an artist from Dusseldorf, had remained a zealous ad-
vocate of the doctrine that a medallist, to achieve the best results,
should engrave his design directly upon the steel and not model it in
a softer medium.105 Bosselt's design shows a head of Athena, in pro-
file to left, wearing a helmet with a large ornate crest; her hair falls
on her neck below the helmet. With her right hand she grasps a spear
near the head. A portion of the Panathenaic festival procession is
shown on the upper edge of the circular shield which covers her
shoulder. A legend reading CONGRESS INTERN DE NUM ET D'ART DE
LA MED. BRUXELLES, 1910, encircles the entire design. There were 100
medals struck in silver and 200 in bronze.106
After the death of John Pierpont Morgan in 1913, a committee con-
186 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
sisting of Archer M. Huntington, William B. Osgood Field, Edward
D. Adams, Edward T. Newell, and John J. Waterbury was set up by
the Society to commemorate Morgan's great contribution to the
progress of art. Morgan had been very helpful to the Society by lending
works from his magnificent collections for the various exhibitions, and,
of course, his contribution to scholarly research in this country through
the Morgan Library was incalculable. As a result, the committee de-
cided to issue a memorial plaque in his honor, and Emil Fuchs was
retained to design the medal.107 Even though the dies were cut in
Europe, the actual striking was done in New York by Whitehead &
Hoag Co. Only a single specimen in gold for presentation to the Morgan
family was issued, but there were an additional 100 in silver which were
quickly subscribed by the members and still another 200 in bronze.108
The medal itself was successful from a financial as well as an artistic
viewpoint. By January 1914, all save thirty-two bronze specimens had
been purchased. On the obverse there was depicted a classical facade
with four columns of the composite order and stepping down from a
niche or baldachino in the center there is a draped female figure re-
presenting Art. The right hand of the figure rests on a square post
which is surmounted by a small piece of statuary while in her left hand,
which rests on a similar post, there is a laurel wreath. Between the two
columns on the right there is a relief of a sculptor at work and between
the columns to the left a similar relief of a painter and model. At the
top, directly under the pediment, in three divisions is the inscription
CHARACTER RELIGION FRIENDSHIP. Below this within wreaths at each
side of the facade are the dates MDCCCXXXVII in three lines on the left
and MCMXIII in two lines on the right. The seal of the Society was
placed on the base of the column on the extreme left while in the space
between the bases of the two columns on the right is the artist's name
E. FUCHS. On the reverse there is a tablet on which is inscribed in three
lines JOHN PIERPONT MORGAN, and on each side there are standing
figures with arms resting on top of the tablet and hands clasped. The
figure to the left is a draped female with palm branch, representing
Fame, and the one at the right a nude male with sledge and anvil, rep-
resenting Industry. The tablet itself stands on feet and rests on an
ornamental base.109
1905-1915 187
The Society now enjoyed a rather unique position in the American
scene. It had produced a great number of medallic works of art, spon-
sored changes in the currency, held successful exhibitions, and achieved
a certain measure of renown. In view of this it was not surprising in
1912 when George H. Sullivan proposed that the Society should act
as trustee for the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Medal. Algernon Sullivan
had become a member of the Society in 1880, and he continued the
association until his death in 1888. On one occasion in 1886, Sullivan
served out an unexpired term as Vice-President. He was a lawyer by
profession, and in later life his son George H. Sullivan was his partner.110
After his death his son established the Algernon Sydney Sullivan
Memorial Fund which was to award five medals each year to those
candidates who had done the best in the Bar Examinations in New
York City. George H. Sullivan wished to have the Society to act as
trustee for the medal, and his proposal was accepted. The Society was
granted some commercial stock to cover the expenses of administering
the award, but it soon became evident that it was impossible to find
anyone who would take the responsibility for selecting the recipients.
While the entire problem was being discussed, the New York Southern
Society, an organization of southerners residing in New York, of which
Algernon Sullivan had been the first President, had established a series
of Sullivan awards at various Southern colleges.111 This series of awards
grew in numbers while the American Numismatic Society found it
impossible to fulfill its trust. Even an offer of aid from the Southern
Society did not alter the situation, and by 1929 it was apparent that the
award would never be made. As a result, George H. Sullivan trans-
ferred the securities and some new ones to the value of about $3,000
to the Society as a fund for the purchase of medals, preferably by
foreign artists. This fund was to be known as the Algernon Sydney
Sullivan Memorial Fund and is still in existence.112
Gifts to the Society during the period 1905-1915 were certainly sig-
nificant not only in monetary terms but also for building up the col-
lections and for establishing the physical plant. In this last case, of
course, the debt to Archer M. Huntington is practically incalculable.
In 1914, a new plot of ground adjoining the Society's building on the
west with a frontage of 50 feet on I55th Street and a depth of 63 feet
188 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
11 inches was presented to the Society. The land was actually given in
March, but at Huntington's request no formal announcement of the
gift was made until November. Of course, such news cannot be kept
secret, and, indeed, no attempt appears to have been made to keep
it so, but at the time no official notice was taken of this donation.113
Construction upon this property was delayed for many years.
The greatest growth of the Society during this decade was registered
in the collections. In 1905, one of the finest collections of Far Eastern
coins was donated to the Society. Charles Gregory, a member who had
never held an office in the organization but had been active in com-
mittee work, donated his collection of 1411 items including many
very rare Chinese, Japanese, and Siamese pieces. This was the first
sizeable collection of coins of the Far East to come to the Society, and
in recognition of his gift Charles Gregory was declared a Patron.114
From time to time Gregory added to the collection, and there were to
be very substantial gifts from others at a later date which increased the
size and value of the holdings in that field.115
In 1906, Samuel H. Valentine, a brother of Herbert Valentine, do-
nated 2,880 specimens which were chiefly U.S. coins and political
pieces. Herbert Valentine had been a member of the Society from
May 19, 1885, and in addition to serving two years, 1892-1893, as
Curator of Archaeology, he was Librarian from 1896 until his death.
He left a legacy of $1,000 to the Society in his will, and his brother
decided to honor his memory by donating his collection as well. His
death on Sept. 29, 1905 was a blow because of his constant interest
and unflagging efforts.116
Numerous smaller donations were received from various individuals
such as George H. Lovett, a designer of medals and diesinker, who
left his collection by bequest to the Society, and Victor Emmanuel
III, King of Italy, who donated a copy of the Corpus Nummorum
Italicorum. Of course all these gifts were vital to the growth of the
collection, but it is only the largest ones that can be discussed in any
detail.
John Pierpont Morgan had presented his invaluable collection of
United States coins consisting of 410 gold, 357 silver, and many bronze
specimens to the American Museum of Natural History. This col-
Athenian Dekadrachm
J. Sanford Saltus
Samuel Putnam Avery
Howland Wood Holding the
Swedish Eight Thaler Piece of Charles X
John Picrpont Morgan Memorial Medal
Saltus Award Medal
1905-1915 I89
lection had been assembled by R. C. H. Brock of Philadelphia, and
had been acquired by Morgan after Brock's death. With Morgan's
consent, that collection was transferred to our Society in 19o8.117 In
addition, a second portion of the Morgan Collection consisting of the
Greek, Roman, and modern coins and medals was received on inde-
finite loan from the Morgan Library in 1916. It was, however, with-
drawn and dispersed in 1949, but an illustrated catalogue of the col-
lection was published by Wayte Raymond, the well known coin dealer.
The most unusual piece in the Morgan Collection was an Athenian
dekadrachm, which was acquired by Wayte Raymond and presented
to the Society. By purchase, the Society also acquired all the Etruscan
pieces, the complete series of Roman heavy bronzes, and five Roman
bronze medallions. A series of medals of the English Pretenders was
donated by Wayte Raymond, and there were some other few purchases
of coins of importance of towns such as Gela, Metapontum, and Terina.
The remainder of this very precious Morgan Collection was dispersed
with a selection of Renaissance medals going to the Metropolitan
Museum of Art and the famous Aboukir medallions being purchased
by Gulbenkian, the European oil investor.118
The greatest benefactor of the Society, of course, was Archer M.
Huntington, under whose aegis it acquired a permanent home and
made its largest strides. Most of Huntington's gifts were given self lessly
under a condition of anonymity, but with the passage of time and his
recent death it hardly seems fitting that that condition be retained.
A history of this organization which maintained a studied silence about
its greatest benefactor would hardly tell the entire story.
Huntington's benefactions were not limited to the physical property
which was the home of the Society; he also added to the growth of its
collection. In 1909 he presented n60 medals struck at the French
Mint. A year later, in co-operation with Saltus, he donated the 260
pieces of the George W. Devinney Collection of Decorations and War
Medals. In 1913 these two gentlemen again combined their efforts
and donated the Higgins Collection which consisted of 1567 medals of
the French Revolution of 1848. Certainly one of the most important
contributions made to the Society during that period was the result
of the co-operative endeavors of Huntington, Field, Newell, Ramsden,
190 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
and Saltus. The first intimation of the availability of a small but choice
collection containing a number of Chinese coins in the Lo Collection
is found in a letter from Belden to Wood in which it is suggested that
this collection be exhibited for a time in New York. Wood had evidently
gone to the American Numismatic Association's convention in Chicago
and discovered the coins there. Belden advised shipping them to New
York for display.119 Wood made the necessary arrangements so that the
unusual collection could be retained in New York as long as desired. Once
in the City, numismatic circles were deeply affected by these specimens
of the earliest Chinese coinage. Plans were formulated for its purchase,
and subscriptions were raised from the five men concerned. In March
of 1913 the transaction was finally completed.120 The very next year
Huntington donated the Bryant Collection of Paper Money which was
chiefly American and consisted of 4,431 items. His constant willingness
to subscribe funds for purchases and exhibitions was most important
to the growth of the Society, but these benefactions were too numerous
to be listed in this history and only the most important ones have been
cited. Huntington's gifts to the Society continued as long as he lived,
but it is perhaps best to delay the discussion of the later donations until
the general treatment of the period.
It would be unjust to deny the great importance of the contributions
of Archer M. Huntington, but at the same time it would be equally im-
proper to affirm that he alone was responsible for the growth which
was so marked during this period. Indeed, as has already been pointed
out, he went to great pains to have others join him in as many enter-
prises as possible and to encourage others to help in their own way.
Among those who aided the Society materially was Daniel Parish, Jr.,
a former President, who in 1908 donated 3,541 coins and medals of
modern Europe, with an estimated value of $50,000. At that time it was
estimated that the entire cabinet of the Society contained 42,000 speci-
mens so that this was a tremendous gift which included choice items.
Later, a gift of 145 magnificent Greek and Roman coins was also donat-
ed by him.121
A clear example of the importance of the contributions of others is
presented by the gift of $5,000 to the permanent funds of the Society
by J. Sanford Saltus in 1909. Saltus requested that no one outside of
1905-1915 19i
the members of the Council be informed that this donation came from
him. Belden in reporting this to Pryer said, "I am going to try and
induce him to let us announce his name in connection with it, as I
think he should have the credit that belongs to him, and if the gift is
announced as from 'a friend' everybody will jump to the conclusion
that Mr. Huntington is the donor, and it will be much better for the
Society if people understand that he is not the only one who makes
large gifts."122
At the Council Meeting of October 23,1909, the President announced
the gift and Saltus was given a vote of thanks. All the members of
the Council joined in urging him to permit the use of his name, and he
reluctantly consented. At the regular meeting of November 17, 1909,
this was finally made known to the membership at large.
The benefactions of J. Sanford Saltus, of course, cannot be limited
to a single year. Even after 1906, when Mrs. Saltus died and Saltus him-
self resigned from the Council and from his committee posts in a feel-
ing of despair over his loss,123 he continued his interests and aid to the
Society and by 1907 accepted the post of Second Vice-President. The
Society's collection of decorations of honor and medals of valor is the
result of the donations of Saltus more than any other individual. On
his frequent trips abroad he was able to acquire many rare or unusual
items which he donated. In 1914, it is recorded that 93 decorations
were given by him and, in 1918, the number is simply given as several
hundred. But Saltus did not restrict himself to those areas in which he
was particularly interested. In 1906, he donated an almost complete
set of half-cents as well as the 1793 'strawberry leaf cent which had
been lacking in the Society's collection. He also gave a number of
medals commemorating Indian peace treaties. In 1912, after the ex-
hibition devoted to Joan of Arc, he presented 221 medals which had
been displayed; and in 1918 he donated a Confederate half-dollar
which has remained one of the prizes of the collection. As a result of
his continuing interest in building up the holdings of the Society, J.
Sanford Saltus was the fourth member to be named a Benefactor.
It was in 1913 that Saltus presented a check for $5,000 to be used
as a permanent fund for the striking of a medal to be awarded from
time to time "to sculptors for distinguished achievement in the field of
192 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
the art of the medal, to authors who have merited signal honor for
numismatic research and scholarship, or to those who have materially
aided in broadening the knowledge of the Science of Numismatics."124
The fund was accepted with thanks, and the medal has been awarded
to the most outstanding artist in that field.
Mrs. Edward Groh, the widow of one of the founders of the Society,
died in 1910; in the same manner as her late husband she had for-
warded the aims of the organization. Mrs. Groh had become a life
member in 1905, upon the death of her husband, and with her passing
she bequeathed $1500 and the "Groh Loving Cup" to the organization.
The money was added to the funds for coin purchase, and the cup was
put on display in the library for many years. At the Fifty-fourth
Annual Meeting in 1912 a resolution was passed honoring the memory
of Mr. and Mrs. Groh.125
At that same meeting a resolution was passed honoring the memory
of Isaac Greenwood who had joined the Society on January 12, 1859,
and died in 1911. Greenwood's services to the organization had been
numerous; at one period at the end of the Civil War he had served as
Second Vice-President for two years. It was Greenwood's good fortune
to live a long life, and in 1911 he was honored as the oldest member by
the presentation of a silver membership medal.126 In his letter accept-
ing the gift Greenwood, who had been confined to his home by in-
firmity for some time, expressed his appreciation.127 His gift to the
Society in that year of a collection of 3,139 specimens of modern,
United States, European, and Oriental coins and medals, as well as
300 paper notes and his library, testified to his deep attachment to the
organization.128
In 1910, the Oettinger Collection of medals by Anton Scharff, one of
the most celebrated of modern medallists and son of the Vienna Mint-
Medallist, Michael Scharff, appeared on the market. Anton Scharff's
career was a distinguished one which was crowned by his appointment
as Court-Medallist in Austria in 1887.129 With the aid of Edward D.
Adams, Archer M. Huntington, and J. Sanford Saltus, this collection
was secured for the Society. The interest of these men in medallic art
made it possible to build up our great collection.
One of the great funds established for the Society during this period
1905-1915 193
was the Samuel P. Avery Fund. Both Samuel P. Avery, Sr., an art
dealer, and his son and namesake, an importer, were members of the
Society.130 In 1894, the elder of the two had joined the organization,
and he remained on the membership rolls until his death in 1905. In
1912, Samuel P. Avery, Jr., made the unsolicited offer to be one of four
contributors to a fund of $ 10,000 for the increase of the Society's col-
lection. He promised the sum of $2,500, if each of the other contributors
to the new fund would do likewise. Archer M. Huntington and J. San-
ford Saltus quickly agreed to be two of the three needed contributors.
Avery had put a deadline of the first day of 1913 for fulfilling the con-
ditions, and there was only a month and a half remaining. Letters
were quickly sent out to various friends of the organization, but the
response failed to yield an individual who would place the entire remain-
ing sum at the disposal of the Society. The deadline for raising the money
was postponed, and since many smaller contributions were coming in,
Avery was asked if he would be willing to have the fourth contribution
of $2,500 made up of several smaller ones. Avery went even further and
consented to have the fund started with only three contributions. For
this he was honored by being presented with a gold membership medal
suitably inscribed. Notices were again sent out to the members requesting
their support of the fund, and by April 1914, it had reached $n,160.
In 1916, Avery added more than $1,500 which brought the total of his
donations over $5,000, and he was duly named as a Benefactor.
The most unusual accession during this period was a thirty-one
pound eight thaler piece of Charles X, Gustavus of Sweden, dated
1650. This enormous coin was acquired in 1914, and the piece was so
unusual that it received great publicity not only in the local Swedish
press, Nordstjernan (The North Star), but also in the American news-
papers.131 Five hundred dollars for the purchase of this piece was donated
by Emerson McMillan, who was consequently named a Patron.
McMillan, a New York banker, had joined the Society in 1906, but
his activity in the organization apart from this gift appears to have
been slight.132 The Society naturally passed a resolution thanking him
for the gift.
In 1915 thirty-two members, including Stephen H. P. Pell, sub-
scribed to a fund for the purchase of a collection of Indian Peace
13
194 A NEW HOME AND A NEW LIFE
Medals. Pell was a prominent banker and broker, and his interest in
American medals and decorations can be judged from long service on
the Decorations and Insignia Committee.133 The collection of Indian
Peace Medals in the Society's trays is particularly fine, and the core
of it owes much to the efforts of Pell and others who were interested in
Americana.
A review of this decade from 1905 to 1915 finds the Society in a
uniquely healthy state after tremendous growth. At the start of this
period there were no benefactors who had given as much as $5000 to
the organization, but by the end, Archer M. Huntington, Arabella
Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., J. Sanford Saltus, and Charles Greg-
ory had been named as such. Numerous gifts had been received from
an increasing number of members, and the interest of younger men
such as Newell and Reilly, who were to do so much for the organi-
zation, had become firmly attached. A measure of the growth can be
seen in purely financial terms when it is remembered that in 1908 the
permanent funds only slightly exceeded $16,000 and the budget was
in the neighborhood of $2,500 per annum. By 1915, the total of secur-
ities and cash reached nearly a quarter of a million dollars, and the
budget had grown accordingly. From an organization searching for a
home and struggling for life each year, the American Numismatic
Society had been transformed into an established institution of per-
manence with a home and museum of its own.
COMING OF AGE
.he Great War which raged over Europe in the years between 1914
and 1918 had relatively little effect upon the activities of the American
Numismatic Society until April 6, 1917, when the United States de-
clared war upon Germany. Like most institutions of this country, the
Society continued to carry on its day-to-day affairs with little worry
concerning the events in Europe save for a display of interest in the
numismatic productions of the various warring powers. In 1915, an
exhibition was held of the portrait medals of Prince Otto von Bis-
mark, the man who had done the most to create a powerful, unified
German state.1 In the same year another exhibition was held dealing
with American war medals from the date of the creation of the Medal
of Honor in 1862 down to the Nicaraguan Campaign Medal of 1912. 2
Thus, it is evident that interest in the events in Europe did not preclude
an equally avid patriotic attachment. This is further borne out by a
display of Iron Crosses held in May which was followed by an exhi-
bition of American Peace Medals given to the Indians, and finally by
one devoted to the coins of the warring nations.3
The United States, while not remaining aloof from the world-shak-
ing occurrences of the war, continued the peaceful activities of normal
life. In 1915, the New York Numismatic Club initiated a movement
is. 195
196 COMING OF AGE
for changing the design of the half dollar, quarter, and dime. The
designs then in use had been adopted in 1892, and the law permitted
changes to be made every twenty-five years without the necessity for
special enabling legislation. Naturally, the American Numismatic So-
ciety was requested to cast its weight in favor of a change, and the
suggestion was made that a special committee be appointed to secure
the desired result.4 The exact role played by the various societies of
numismatists cannot be traced with any degree of assuredness, but
in 1916 new designs were adopted for the three coins in question.5 A
special meeting on January 4, 1917, was devoted to a report by Adolph
A. Weinman, the designer of the new dime and half-dollar, and Her-
man A. MacNeil, the designer of the new quarter, on the experiences
that they had undergone in the course of their work, and Weinman
made specific mention of the fact that the Society and various other
groups had promoted this object, held exhibitions with that in mind,
and taken other steps toward more artistic mint productions.6 Other
aspects of this successful attempt to change the three coins were traced
by various speakers including Dr. George F. Kunz of the Society and
Dr. T. L. Comparette, the Curator of the United States Mint Cabinet,
who was also a member of the organization. In its report at the Annual
Meeting on January 20, 1917, the Committee on United States Coins
signalized the new issues and described them as "eminently satis-
factory."
It was during the period of United States' neutrality in the great
conflict that certain changes in the organization and staff of the So-
ciety were initiated. At the meeting held on January 15,1916, an amend-
ment was passed to the Constitution which provided for the office of a
President to be elected by the Governors. Naturally, this involved cer-
tain changes in the By-Laws which were made at the same time.7 These
changes had been discussed and adopted by the Council at its meeting
the previous November. The logical candidate for the office of Presi-
dent was Edward T. Newell who was duly elected by the Governors.
President Newell delivered his first address in that capacity to the
Society at the Fifty-ninth Annual Meeting held on January 20, 1917. In
attacking the problems which were to be faced, he pointed out that the
Governors in the past had served chiefly as ornaments to the member-
Robert James Eidlitz
William Gilman Thompson
James Earl Fraser in his Studio
Bald EagleDeclaration of War Medal
Medal Commemorating the Laying of Cornerstone for St. Bartholomew's Church
Medal Commemorating Completion of the Catskill Aqueduct
1915-1930
ship list even though they were specifically declared to be officers under
the Constitution of 1910. In addition, the Society faced the necessity
of increasing its expenditures for salaries because of the increase in the
cost of living which resulted from the war. Under these conditions, it
was decided that the President and the Treasurer, Mr. John Reilly,
Jr., should be prevailed upon to devote a larger measure of their time
to the Society and to remove their collections to the Society's building.
This would enable the organization to economize in one department
and to save approximately the amount required by the added expen-
diture of increasing the salary of the Curator and other employees. A
letter was sent to Bauman L. Belden, who had served as Secretary and
Director of the group since 1910, explaining to him the difficulties
which were facing the body, and Belden promptly tendered his resig-
nation with regret so that the additional money might be saved.8 This
change in itself would have saved the Society no money at all because
it necessitated certain structural changes in the building to accommodate
the two new officers as well as the payment of a sum of money to Belden
for his salary and a bonus, but once again Archer M. Huntington
stepped into the breach and made the change possible at no loss to the
organization.9 The Council took this occasion to pass a resolution
honoring Belden for the many years of faithful service which he had
given the Society and expressing its hope that "outside activities
(would) not interfere with Mr. Belden's interest and researches in the
special field where he is so valuable."
The Society, however, could not carry on without a Secretary, even
though it was possible to manage without Belden's services as Director.
For the interval before a new Secretary was chosen Henry Russell
Drowne was asked to carry out the functions of that office. In his
report delivered at the Annual Meeting of 1917, Drowne pointed out
that he was not able to give the time which it required, and that he was
merely serving temporarily. At the June meeting of the Council he had
submitted a note to that body emphasizing the necessity for securing
an individual with qualities that would make the office a source of
strengthening the influence of the group at home and abroad. At the
same time he suggested that the office should be honorary but that the
incumbent should be free to give most of his time to his work in the
198 COMING OF AGE
office and outside the building, including journeys of some length. He
further pointed out that "the work of a good Secretary would be the
finest advertisement we could have."10 Newell himself had stressed the
necessity for finding just the right man for this important post in his
Presidential Address at that meeting.
It was not an easy matter to find an adequate replacement for Bau-
man L. Belden. For eighteen years he had called the members to the
meetings, and he knew more about the individual participants in the
Society's activities than any other man. His services during that period
were never forgotten, and in 1928, on the suggestion of Harrold E.
Gillingham, Bauman L. Belden was unanimously elected an Honorary
Councillor for Life.11 Almost an entire year was consumed before a
replacement was found. Surprisingly enough the new incumbent was
not found in some distant locale but within the confines of the Society.
As early as 1909, Sydney P. Noe had taken an interest in the Society and
its work.12 Noe at that time was connected with Dr. C. Van Dyke in the
Gardner A. Sage Library of the Dutch Reformed Theological Semi-
nary near Rutgers University from which he had graduated. He had
extensive knowledge of bibliography, and had visited Europe twice in
the company of Dr. Van Dyke. After five years association with the
Gardner Sage Library it became evident to Noe that there were still
greener pastures. The Society at that moment was searching for a new
Librarian because of the retirement of A. D. Savage. Thus it happened
that after some correspondence between Belden and Noe, the position
was accepted by the latter on October 25, 1915.13
In his new position as Librarian, Noe made some exceedingly im-
portant advances for the Society. Previously the method for cataloguing
and the actual care of the books had been something less than satis-
factory. Noe devised a new plan for cataloguing which permitted
greater ease in locating volumes; scholars were no longer dependent
upon the memory of the Librarian. He also carried out the first steps
in the creation of a new device, a photofile of the illustrations in auction
catalogues. This extremely valuable tool for all numismatists had
earlier been suggested, and so quickly did this enterprise move forward
that by 1917, 10,000 cards with illustrations had been placed in the
file.14 In addition, Noe completed a catalogue of the pamphlets then
1915-1930 199
held by the Society.15 This display of energy marked Noe as the logical
choice for the post of Secretary and he assumed his new duties in April
1917, but retained his position as Librarian.
In another move to secure efficiency, the Committee on Member-
ship, that on Papers and Exhibitions, and that on Publicity were
dropped from the list of standing committees.16 From comments made
in the Council it is clear that a majority felt that the functions per-
formed by these committees in the past were now entirely within the
competence of the permanent staff of the museum.
On April 6, 1917, his patience having been exhausted in his deal-
ings with the Imperial German Government, President Wilson went
before the Congress of the United States and requested a declaration
of war. The country had been stirred up by a series of incidents in-
cluding the sinking of the Lusitania and the Zimmerman note, and
with little opposition the Congress took the United States into the
World War. Naturally enough, there was an immediate outcry against
what was termed German barbarism and a great change took place in
the thinking habits of most Americans. It was under the stress of these
emotions that various proposals were made for changes in the Con-
stitution of the Society. In 1917, it was proposed to change the class of
so-called Members and Honorary Members to Fellows and Honorary
Fellows. Under the pressure of events, it was suggested that a new pro-
vision be added stating that "Only native born citizens of the United
States shall be eligible to the Council." Of all of the public offices with-
in the power of the American electorate, only that of President of the
United States required such a qualification. No action was taken on
this particular provision at the Annual Meeting of 1918, but it was
announced that this amendment would be discussed and voted upon
the following year. Before that time, the Armistice signed in Com-
piegne Forest on November n, 1918, removed the emotional drive
from the proposal. The Council itself defeated the measure and it was
never brought before the entire body of the Society again.
It was not, however, the only manifestation of such war hysteria
which gripped the Society. In May 1918, perhaps at the height of
emotionalism regarding the war, Bauman L. Belden seriously suggested
to the Council that steps be taken "as soon as possible" to remove from
200 COMING OF AGE
the Society's rolls of membership all German and Austrian subjects.
The Council was not to be hurried into any such action without a
thorough investigation, and Belden was appointed a committee of one
to report as to which scientific societies here and abroad had passed
similar resolutions and to present a list of those members, showing their
status, whom he deemed objectionable. Belden was not to be put down
quite so easily for at the next meeting of the Council in June 1918, he
resumed his attack on the enemy with a motion that the Secretary be
"directed to remove as members all citizens of Germany and Austria."
This motion perished for lack of a second. The Council of the Society,
composed as it was of worldly men, realized that wars were merely
transitory phenomena in the history of nations, and that enemies and
opponents on one day might well be allied for common survival on the
next.
Naturally, the most vital effect the war had upon the functioning of
the Society was that many of the most important participants in the
Society's activities were forced into other duties. Without treating the
various individual military careers of all these men, suffice it to say that
some of the members served with eminent distinction. Stephen H. P.
Pell was honored with the Croix de Guerre for wounds incurred in the
service of his country. A. Piatt Andrew, another member, also distin-
guished himself in the American Ambulance Corps. Newell himself
went to the army and was eventually commissioned, and Noe also was
called to the colors. Newell, writing to Noe on July 23, 1918, said,
"Speaking from the standpoint of the Society I am utterly dismayed at
your threatened departure. The Society will undoubtedly close its
doors in this event coal or no coal." Fortunately, that was not the case.
By November 1918, soldiers were being returned to civilian life, and the
last of that month saw Noe once again at work in the museum. Newell
had only recently been commissioned and he expressed some fear in
one of his letters that he might be held beyond the end of the war and
through the peace conference.17 His hopes for an early return, how-
ever, were not disappointed and the Society was soon back on an even
keel.
In 1917, several timely exhibitions were held. During July and
August of that year, there was a display of the paper money issued in
1915-1930 201
Belgium and Northern France. After the publication of the medal
commemorating the declaration of war by the United States, there was
an exhibition devoted to the forms taken by the eagle on coins and
medals from the earliest times to the World War. Of course, this does
not mean that displays of other objects of numismatic interest were
neglected completely. For example, an attractive collection of coins
and medals relating to Luther and the Reformation was displayed in
conjunction with a lecture by Dr. Jeremiah Zimmerman, and the
J. Pierpont Morgan loan collection was shown in its entirety during
the month of December when it formed the subject for a meeting. Most
of the exhibition, however, continued to deal with military subjects.
In June of 1918, it was proposed that there should be an exhibition of
the distinguishing marks on the uniforms of the officers and men of the
Army and Navy of the United States. Such a display would include
caps, collar ornaments, shoulder straps, chevrons, insignia, badges,
decorations, etc., and would serve a particularly useful purpose during
the war. Offers of help were received from various other public bodies.
It was even suggested that it might be particularly effective in stimu-
lating new membership applications at that time. This was an impor-
tant consideration because a campaign for such new membership was
then in force. This exhibition received the most wholehearted support
of the membership including very generous financial assistance, and
created great popular interest. The display actually served a multiple
purpose not only for the public but also for the many Army and Navy
personnel who visited the museum on that occasion. The staff of the
Society was also of considerable service to many institutions and
publications in answering queries on the subject, and Howland Wood
took particular pains to keep the information up to date.18 With the end
of active hostilities there was a sharp drop in the interest in things
military, and so barely a month after the Armistice this particular
exhibition was dismantled.
By 1921, the subjects that were to be treated by displays at the
museum were of a much more peaceful and artistic character. In the
early part of that year, four of the Governors met at Archer M. Hunt-
ington's office and all agreed upon inviting Mrs. Clare Sheridan to
exhibit her sculpture in the museum for a month. The Council ap-
2O2 COMING OF AGE
proved this, even though the subject matter was patently not numis-
matic, because of its stated conviction that "this exhibit will be of con-
siderable benefit to the Society and introduce us to a good many who
should know about us." Huntington did not ask the Society to bear the
financial expenditure incidental to the display of sculpture in a museum
designed for other purposes. The costs of the removal of all the cases
on the ground floor, the covering of the walls with burlap, and trans-
ferring to the cabinet all the pieces that had been on display were borne
by him.
On May 5th of that same year, the hundredth anniversary of the
death of Napoleon occurred. A most remarkable gift had been re-
ceived during the previous year in the form of the William R. Powell
Collection of about 1,700 Napoleonic coins and medals. This collection
was promptly put on exhibition for that anniversary and remained on
display throughout that spring and summer.19
When the Napoleonic medals and coins were removed they were re-
placed by a representative selection of United States coins, tokens, and
medals. One section of this new exhibition was devoted to the series of
political medals from the time of John Quincy Adams to the present,
and it occupied all the flat cases around the walls. The Convention of
the American Numismatic Association was entertained in the build-
ing on the evening of August 3oth, and 104 persons were present.
Archer M. Huntington's interest in sculpture influenced other dis-
plays sponsored by the Society. President Newell proposed that the
Society should take part in the 1923 Spring exhibition of American
sculpture. The National Sculpture Society at that time held a display
on the terrace of the Museum. In this instance, a collection of medals
by renowned American sculptors was shown to the visitors. Because of
the Saltus Award Medal Fund and the co-operation which the Society
had received from the Medallic Art Company, it was a source of
satisfaction that the Society already had in its possesion a very fine
collection of such works of American art. As time went on, it came to
be the finest in the world. Medals had been received from the various
recipients of the Saltus Award, and other sculptors who had main-
tained close relationships with the Society were also generous in do-
nating specimens of their productions. In addition, an appeal for con-
1915-1930 203
tributions of medals and coins to the Society in the form of Christmas
presents had yielded many acquisitions. The Medallic Art Company
had taken a particularly active role in building up the Society's col-
lection by sending as many medals as it could with the express per-
mission of the artists. This was particularly important because this one
company was most active in the production of works of medallic art
in this country.20 Since the American Numismatic Society was so
closely involved in this display of American sculpture and medallic
art it was particularly gratified when Mayor Hylan visited the exhi-
bition and was received on the terrace. The actual length of time
during which the objects were on display was from April r2th to
August 1st, and in all probability it was the most extensive exhibition
of American sculpture ever held up to that time. The museum of the
Society was the headquarters for the administrative work, and the
success of the whole was in no small measure due to the time and
energy given by Agnes Baldwin Brett.
At the conclusion of this exhibition, it was natural to hold a second
which would deal primarily with the display of European medallic
products. The Committee on Foreign Coins and Medals took the
initiative in this case, and the remarkable exhibition which followed
was a source of pride to the entire membership.21
There was, however, one spectre which hovered over the bright
horizon which has been depicted in the early part of this chapter. The
menace was financial insolvency. In 1916, it was reported by the Coun-
cil that the Samuel P. Avery Fund which had been started in 1913 with
a contribution of $2,500 and which grew very rapidly during the first
few months was still about $1,500 short of the $10,000 goal.22 There
seemed to be better prospects of acquiring that sum and fortunately the
expenses for the year were relatively low and the Society ended that
period showing a balance of $255.19 in its current funds and a balance
of $ 1 ,793.16 in its permanent funds. By 1917, this situation had changed,
and there was active pressure for retrenchment. The Annual Report
of the Treasurer for that year showed that while income had amounted
to approximately $n,000.00, the expenditure had been in excess of
$15,ooo.oo.23 The retrenchment then instituted resulted, as we have
detailed, in the resignation of Bauman L. Belden and a strict economy
204 COMING OF AGE
drive in all activities of the Society. A full year later, Reilly, the Treas-
urer, was still reciting the tale of woe; he pointed out that the balance
for current expenses was merely $1,132.52, an uncomfortably small
sum. Only by the strictest economies and privations had the Society
been able to remain debt free. Such a situation could not be over-
looked, and President Newell addressed himself to it at the Annual
Meeting of January 12, 1918:
The rigid economy of which I have just spoken has enabled us to come through
the past year with a very small deficit. In previous years our deficit usually amounted
to thousands of dollars, which had to be met each time by special subscriptions. In
1917 more has been accomplished in every department than ever before, with a
final deficit of about two hundred dollars only; but it must be remembered that we were
assisted by the liquidation of some assets stored within our building, such as old
publications, past numbers of the Journal, unsold medals and the like. Those have
now been converted into money, but the prospect of realizing to any great extent
on such as remain is practically nil. What has been rigid economy will this coming
year have to become uncompromising penury. This will necessarily have a terribly
retarding effect upon the progress of which we are all so proud.24
Much of the money which had been realized by the sale of old pub-
lications and medals retained in the building had been devoted to
specific purposes such as enlarging and improving the library. The
publication costs as well had been defrayed from a special fund which
was now practically exhausted, so the financial condition of the So-
ciety was even bleaker than had been portrayed. With all the econo-
mies and with these additional funds which could not normally be ex-
pected the Society ended the year 1917 with a deficit of approximately
$200.26 In his financial report the Treasurer, John Reilly, Jr., said:
In spite of the most careful management and absolute denial of necessaries in
every department, we have been unable to live within our income. We are in the
same plight as all others with fixed incomes in this period of rapidly rising costs. The
solution is an addition to our endowment and increase in associate membership.28
The solution was not quite so simple. The records of the Council
during the year show that at one point approximately $2,000 more
would be needed to meet the year's expenses. The only suggestion forth-
coming was that the President should appoint a Finance Committee
Medal Commemorating Flight across the English Channel of
King Albert and Queen Elizabeth of the Belgians
Medal Commemorating the Peace of Versailles
Medal Commemorating Dedication of Joan of Arc Park
Presentation of Medal to the Prince of Wales aboard HMS Renown
1. Edward T. Newell 2. Prince of Wales
3. Prince's Equerry 4. John Flanagan, Sculptor
5. Dr. William Gilman Thompson 6. H. Russell Drowne
1915-1930 205
to see who would be willing to enter a class of Sustaining Members at
$100 while the other classes of members were to have their dues raised.
This proposal was finally framed in the form of a motion which created
a new class of "Sustaining Fellows," but the Council merely recom-
mended this motion to the Governors for consideration, and nothing
more was heard of it.
It is, of course, true that the Society did attempt to take some active
steps to remedy its ills. An intensive membership campaign was begun
as early as January 1918, and Robert Eidlitz contributed $200 towards
its success. The actual campaign was soon in full swing and by April
fifty-two names had been presented for election. The Secretary, in com-
menting about the results, wondered whether the previous lack of growth
could not be attributed to the fact that invitations to join had not been
more widely extended. Particular use was made of the Banker's Di-
rectory to secure names of persons who would be able to support the
Society to the fullest.27 Circulars were sent to interested people who
might be likely prospects. To attract these new members the privilege
of subscribing to medals to be issued in the near future was held out.
Eidlitz took particular note of this promise because there were no
plans for the issuance of such medals, and he suggested that a sub-
scription medal be issued to members only to commemorate the ob-
servance of the Fourth of July by other nations.28
Fortunately, as we shall see later, there was no need for such special
action because the year 1919 was truly outstanding from the stand-
point of medallic issues. This was largely the result of the efforts of one
man, J. Sanford Saltus, but included among the medals issued at that
time was such a Fourth of July piece. We must, however, reserve the
discussion of the medallic issues of this period for a later point and
return to the financial problem.
At the Annual Meeting held on January 10, 1920, John Reilly, Jr.,
presided and read to the members a speech which President Newell
had prepared before his recent departure for Europe. Newell pointed
to the success of the membership drive, but noting its costs, said it
would not be continued into the new year. The need remained for a
"larger permanent endowment fund." President Newell could only
appoint a Finance Committee and await the results of their deliber-
206 COMING OF AGE
ations. In the report later delivered to the Council, Reilly estimated
that an additional $6,000 would be needed for the year 1920. A large
proportion of this was given directly by Archer M. Huntington and the
remainder of the sum had to be raised from among the most interested
participants in the work of the Society. Reilly proposed on behalf of
the Committee that the Society ask its members for a guarantee fund
for five years, "feeling sure that we will then have attained such a
commanding position that a more permanent foundation will be
assured." One month after this request was made the total of $4,010,
which surpassed the amount asked, had been received. From April of
1920 the new budget seemed assured.
Reilly's estimate of the situation proved to be optimistic, for the next
year began with another round of discussion about the budget. It
seemed impossible to trim expenses without seriously damaging the
effectiveness of the Society, and there was a need for items not even
mentioned in the tentative budget. The only effective answer was to
continue the search for financial aid. The goal was now put at $100,000
additional endowment. To economize during this year, the series of
evening meetings which brought only a poor attendance was cancelled.
All expenses were cut as far as possible, and at the end of the year a
financial statement disclosed a more favorable situation. In 1917, the
deficit had been $220.17; in 1918, it had been $243.55; in I9I9> ^ nad
risen to $832.92, and, in 1920, to $952.15; but in 1921 there was a favor-
able, balance of $23.08. This was the most complete statement of the
finances of the Society yet published, and it is clear that only because of
generous support from individual members was it possible to main-
tain the organization.
In 1922, the favorable trend of the preceding year seemed to reverse
itself, and the end of the year found the Society in need of approxi-
mately $ 1,000. Six donors, including Archer M. Huntington, wiped
off this deficit so that the balance sheet actually showed a credit of
$859.04. The slate was now clean, and attention was given to secure
a greater return on the invested endowment. Certain bonds were sold
and guaranteed mortgages yielding five percent were purchased, but
even so the rising costs of day-to-day activity seemed to swallow the
income faster than any remedial action could be taken. In 1923, Archer
1915-1930 207
M. Huntington again stepped into the breach to help the Society
bridge the gap, but the following year was again a poor one; now, even
donations did not save the Society from falling into the red. Deficits
seemed a perennial problem.
President Newell was determined to raise the necessary funds to
maintain all activities of the Society. In January 1925, he appointed an
ad hoc committee of four, including himself. The problem was finally
solved in that year when a bequest was received from the estate of
Arabella Huntington which amounted to $20,000. This sum plus an-
other $500 from the permanent funds of the Society was invested in
guaranteed mortgages by the Treasurer.
President Newell could not restrain his joy at the Sixty-eighth An-
nual Meeting held on January 9, 1926, when he said:
Perhaps the outstanding note of this meeting will be the Treasurer's report. It
so often has been a note of sadness in the past that I am particularly sorry that a
sudden indisposition is keeping our Treasurer away from us today. I know that he
was looking forward to this meeting with a justifiably complacent pleasure as he
contemplated what he was about to tell you. I will not be stealing any of the thunder
from his report when I whisper to you that we are actually closing 1925, not only
without the usual deficit but with a slight balance! Like Job's comforters, however,
I hasten to add a jarring note. However attractive the contemplation of 1925 may
be, let not our complacency become too great. We cannot afford to sit back and fold
our hands. What our Treasurer has achieved has been accomplished only by hard
and persistent I should perhaps say persuasive labor on his part, backed to the
limit by the loyal and generous support of so many of our members. This gives us
every encouragement for the new yearbut we are not out of the woods yetnot
by any means. We are still lacking sufficient income to meet, even partially, our
barest needslet alone any possible enlargement of our activities. We still remain
in urgent need of an increase of at least a hundred thousand dollars of our Endowment
Fund. Until that has been secured I am afraid we shall have to postpone all imme-
diate thought of the additional building (as outlined in my last annual address)
which we so urgently need. The tentative plans of which I spoke at that time could
not, for several reasons, be worked out in 1925. But let us not despairwe have so
much for which to be grateful in the year just past. In thanking our Treasurer for
what he has accomplished, let us also not forget those generous and loyal members
who helped to make his report so attractive.29
Never again did the Society face quite the same financial difficulty
as plagued its activities during the few years from 1917 to 1925. Two
208 COMING OF AGE
years after this happy turn of events, Archer M. Huntington took the
final step towards assuring the future of the organization by donating
the $100,000 which Newell had so desperately sought. With his usual
desire to maintain anonymity in such matters, Huntington stipulated
that this gift was to be treated in the strictest confidence. The income
from this new gift was to be used to pay the annual salary charges here-
tofore levied against a new publication fund known as the Notes and
Monograph Fund; to improve the protection of the Society's property,
and to increase the scholarly production which was the Society's prin-
cipal aim. Naturally, Huntington's requests in this matter were followed
and steps were taken to improve the physical arrangement of the coin
room and to hire an assistant who would help in the production of
scholarly studies, and, at the same time, be an added protection to the
collection. There were few limits to Huntington's generosity. The very
next year, 1929, he made the substantial donation of $50,000 to the
permanent fund; this new gift was in addition to sums which he was
then providing for a new building. From this point on, the Society was
firmly established as a well-endowed organization which could face the
future confidently. Archer M. Huntington's benefactions covering
other aspects of the Society's work will be treated as they affect the
various activities of the program followed.
Huntington's interest had peak periods, but no matter how preoc-
cupied with other matters he always had time for the Society's
affairs. Occasionally, he was in sharp opposition to proposals made for
the government of the organization, and he then presented his point
of view as forcefully as possible. In 1918, a suggestion was made by
Bauman L. Belden that the Board of Governors should be eliminated
from the structure of the Society. The Council never endorsed this pro-
posal, but the threat to the constitution of 1910 was real. Huntington,
who had been President when that Constitution was drawn up, stood
squarely in favor of retaining the Board. Some tension was generated
by the dispute, but the Board of Governors was retained.30 The old
Constitution was to be amended in the course of time, but was not to
be discarded at one stroke.
There were individual changes of personnel both among the officers
and the staff, but none of these were structural. Thus in 1920, when
1915-1930 209
President Newell went to Europe, he was temporarily replaced as
Chairman of the Board of Governors by John Reilly, Jr. Again in 1924,
when Mrs. Brett was about to depart for Greece to do research, her
official title was changed to Associate Curator so that she could repre-
sent the Society. In 1924, when John Reilly, Jr., returned to China, it
was necessary to find a new Treasurer, and the choice fell upon Harrold
E. Gillingham. One addition was made to personnel in 1930 by the
creation of the post of Assistant Librarian. Naturally the Council
would have been loathe to give up Noe's supervisory control of the
library because he had been the individual most responsible for the
cataloguing and increased holdings, but it was apparent that he
needed aid in carrying out the routine tasks. For this position a young
graduate student from Princeton was engaged; Sawyer McA.Mosser
was to remain with the Society to the present day and to succeed Noe
in the library and later in the office of Secretary.
Some indication has been given of the status of the library when
Noe first took charge of it, but it is only by reading the plaintive notes
in the Librarian's reports that one can appreciate the true extent of the
difficulties facing him. In a report of January 1917 he said: "We have no
provision whatever for our Library! One thousand dollars would go
far towards immediate needs. Twenty-five hundred invested at four
percent would give us $100.00 a year, which is the minimum needed
to keep us from slipping backwards. May these humble requirements
influence our 1917 budget." The sum involved seems paltry today or
in terms of the valuable function then being performed, but it must
not be forgotten that this request was made at the beginning of the
dark period of deficits. It is to the eternal credit of Edward T. Newell
and the men surrounding him that they heeded this request to the
extent that their limited resources permitted. Newell's scholarly in-
stinct led him to grant as much as was within his power.
In 1917, it was decided that the stocks of medals issued by the So-
ciety should be disposed of in such fashion that the maximum amount
of money be realized. Income from the sale of the publications of the
Society was allocated to the library for a limited period. From these
sources, the sum of approximately $500 was realized. This relieved the
needs of the library at several points, but when the necessary purchases
it
210 COMING OF AGE
were made to keep the library current there was little left for further
growth.31
Yet the library did grow by astounding proportions during these
years under Noe's supervision. In 1920, Archer M. Huntington do-
nated a series of lexicons and dictionaries which greatly enhanced the
utility of the collection. By purchases the various gaps were slowly
closed, and a series of reciprocal exchange agreements were made with
other societies. In 1921, the largest single addition to the library, up
to that time, was made. The Hispanic Society of America had acquired
a magnificent collection of books dealing specifically with all phases of
coinage, and a total of more than 1,000 volumes was placed on per-
manent loan in the library.32 At the same time, there was a gratifying
increase in the number of individual donors to the library funds as the
members became more and more interested in that aspect of the Society's
work. This was, in part, a natural result of the increased efficiency with
which the library was managed. In 1924, Ferris P. Merritt, a member
of the Society, started a new fund devoted to it. He donated a Serbian
bond of $500, and announced his intention to add substantial sums from
time to time until a total of $5,000 had been reached.33 This Merritt fund
was the only one devoted solely to the library until 1941, when a new
donation was made by W. Gedney Beatty for a second special fund.
It was only at the close of the period covered in this chapter, how-
ever, that the final arrangements were made which ensured that the
library would continue to be the finest of its type. In 1930, an agree-
ment was signed between the Huntington Free Library and Reading
Room, at Westchester Square in the Bronx, and the American Numis-
matic Society which stipulated that in return for the transfer of ap-
proximately 1,000 duplicate volumes from the shelves of the Society
to the Huntington Free Library a sum of $ 1 ,000 would be paid annually
to the Society for the purchase of new books. The title to the 1,000
duplicate and non-numismatic volumes would remain in the hands
of the Society and the title to the newer volumes would remain in the
possession of the Huntington Free Library, but the newer books would
be maintained at the Society's building and the duplicates would be
elsewhere. All books were to be available for consultation.34 As the
Librarian pointed out at the time:
1915-1930 211
This amount should prove ample for securing all desirable numismatic litera-
ture that may be published, as well as providing, in addition, means for securing
titles we lack or cognate material which we have not been able to afford hitherto.
With the means thus provided the Library should achieve a position of greater use-
fulness and should be enabled to offer new stimulus towards the production of
numismatic literature, and should be able to remove some of the handicaps which
may have prevented writers obtaining the books they wanted in the past.35
During the period of financial difficulty, another interesting turn of
events took place as a direct result of the economy drive. Many of
the officers of the Society or the members of the staff were deeply in-
terested in the American Numismatic Association, an organization less
scholarly in its approach to numismatics but an avenue of contact for
all coin collectors. Men such as Howland Wood, Edward T. Newell,
and John Reilly, Jr., were active members of both organizations. The
Association sponsored a monthly journal known as The Numismatist,
in which a specific section was devoted to the activities of the various
numismatic groups throughout the country. What was more natural
than that the Society should make an agreement with the Association
to publish its annual Proceedings in The Numismatist and thus save the
publication costs which were at that time quite burdensome. This was
done in 1918, and in addition the Association was asked to prepare
separate booklets containing these Proceedings bound separately with a
cover, title page, list of officers, committees, and members of the So-
ciety. This was not as sharp a deviation from previous practice as it
seems at first glance because minutes of individual meetings of the
Society had been printed in The Numismatist for some time, and the
Society had maintained a subscription for 400 copies at a price of $400.
This subscription was now reduced to 350 at the same price of one
dollar per volume. Thus there was a saving of $50 and a gain from the
fact that the Proceedings were not published separately by the Society
even though they were made available as pamphlets.
In 1920, however, there was a decided turn for the better in the matter
of financial resources for publication. As will be shown, the publications
of the Society had up to that point depended on individual acts of
generosity to a large degree, but at that time the idea for a new series
was sponsored by Archer M. Huntington. A fund known as the Numis-
14*
212 COMING OF AGE
matic Notes and Monographs Fund was established by him with a
capital of $100,000 to insure the publication of a series of scholarly
studies in a specific format on pages of 41/2 by 65/8 inches. It was a small
pocket book with paper covers and ruled margins. With this new
series available to the Society, the publication of the Proceedings as part of
the Numismatic Notes and Monographs in the same format was suggested.
Under the agreement between the two organizations then in force, the
payments made for the publication in The Numismatist actually were a
subsidy to that journal. The practice had continued because there had
not been any less expensive means for publication without laying an
additional burden on the staff of the museum. A re-examination of the
question revealed that the amount of labor required for publication in
the new format was not more than was necessary for preparing copy for
the journal and in addition the saving of the subsidy, which by 1920
had risen to $450 was something to be taken into account. The only
matters to be determined were whether the new Numismatic Notes and
Monographs Fund was available for this purpose and whether the with-
drawal of the subsidy might not cripple The Numismatist. By November,
an investigation had revealed that the change could be made, and as a
result The Numismatist was notified a month in advance of the publication
of the Proceedings for the next year that it could no longer expect the
same arrangement to be followed.36 The Proceedings for the next three
years were published in the new format and once again that way in r 926,
but the labor proved to be greater than had first been imagined, and
for all the other years until 1933 they appeared in The Numismatist.
This incident involving the publication of the Proceedings can serve
to illustrate the close relationship between the American Numismatic
Association and the Society. There were, of course, other facets to this
friendship. In 1922, the Annual Convention of the Association was held
in New York and the local New York Numismatic Club was host to the
gathering. Even though the Society was not officially one of the par-
ticipating groups, inquiries were made as to how a co-operative effort
might insure the success of the convention.37 The New York Numis-
matic Club suggested that an invitation be extended to the members
of the Association to spend an afternoon at the museum, and that the
Society prepare a special exhibition as well as extend its facilities to
Medal in Honor of the Prince of Wales
John Flanagan at Work
Case for the Prince of Wales Medal
Medal in Honor of the American Red Cross
Medal in Honor of Joseph Hodges Choate
1915-1930 213
those attending the convention. This proposal was accepted, and it
contributed a good deal to the success of that year's convention.
This period in the Society's history is most notable in three specific
fields. It was a period of great medallic production, one of enlarged
publication of scholarly works, and also of physical expansion with
the addition of a new building. Individual members of the Society
stand forth as the moving forces in the accomplishments achieved in
these various areas. In the field of medallic productions, the name of
J. Sanford Saltus must be given particular prominence, and his labors
resulted in an especially rich series of medals. Perhaps even more im-
portant was the establishment of the J. Sanford Saltus Award. It will
be remembered that in 1913 Saltus had established a $5,000 fund for
striking medals to be awarded from time to time "to sculptors for
distinguished achievement in the field of the art of the medal, to
authors who have merited signal honor for numismatic research and
scholarship, to those who have materially aided in broadening the
knowledge of the Science of Numismatics."38 For three years after the
establishment of this prize no steps were taken towards designing the
piece or giving an award. Finally, at the end of 1916, the Medal Com-
mittee was requested to make the proper arrangements. Unfortunately,
this came at the moment when Saltus resigned from the Council giving
as his reason the loss of his wife. His services to the Society had been so
outstanding that he was elected an Honorary Councillor for Life at the
following Annual Meeting.39
As has already been pointed out in a previous chapter, the Society
had determined to use the Huntington medal for almost the same
purpose as was stipulated for the new prize. Some distinction had to be
made between these two awards. As a result, literary attainment in
numismatics was made the criterion for the Huntington award, and
excellence in medallic art the deciding factor in the case of the Saltus
prize. Medals and their art comprised a large part of the collection and
the interest of the members, but there had as yet been only a few at-
tempts to encourage participants in this valuable and attractive field.
The time was then ripe for encouragement to sculptors to apply
themselves to this historic art form, and to build up the collection of
contemporary specimens.
214 COMING OF AGE
The work of preparing a suitable medal for the prize was entrusted
to the Committee on the Publication of Medals. This group, in its report
of 1918, recommended that aSaltus Award Medal Committee of three
be appointed. This second committee in turn was to select two sculptors
of prominence who in turn would choose a third member. Naturally
these three would not be eligible for the award while they served in
that capacity. The Council named W. Gedney Beatty, Dr. William Gil-
man Thompson, and Robert James Eidlitz to serve as the Saltus Award
Medal Committee, and held a meeting in March to which the National
Sculpture Society members were invited and at which the medal was
awarded for the first time.
The medal itself was the work of Adolph A. Weinman. The first
copies were cast, but since the best results were not obtained by that
process, J. Sanford Saltus asked that dies be prepared at his expense.
In 1919, the first award was made to James Earl Fraser, and castings
in full size of the artist's model were exhibited at the Century Asso-
ciation and the National Arts Club as well as the Architectural League.
The galvanos prepared by the artist were displayed at the National
Academy of Design.40 The following year Adolph A. Weinman himself
was the recipient of this award at the regular meeting of May 6, 1920.
He richly deserved this prize because of his many successful works and
his designs for the United States coinage of 1916 which have already
been mentioned. The first of the struck specimens was presented to
him.41
This prize has done a great deal to stimulate medallic works of art
in this country. Distinguished medallists have always been on the com-
mittee to determine whether or not it should be awarded in any spe-
cific year and to nominate the recipient. The very success of the pro-
ject motivated the members of the organization to demonstrate in
concrete fashion their appreciation for the generosity of J. Sanford
Saltus. At the Annual Meeting of January 14, 1922, Saltus was named
an Honorary Governor for Life.42
Saltus received honors from many quarters. He was elected Presi-
dent of the British Numismatic Society in 1922 and the first dinner
meeting to celebrate his election was scheduled for June 2 8th. Then on
June 24, 1922, at the Hotel Metropole in London, Saltus died suddenly
1915-1930 215
after having apparently been in the best of health. His body was found
in his room and the manner of his death remained a mystery until
after the official investigation.43 It is quite evident that he had no
reason to commit suicide because he was then about to marry Mrs.
Estelle Campbell of New York, a widow who had many of the same
interests that he enjoyed. His body had been discovered lying on the
floor of his hotel room fully clothed and it was believed that he had
passed away several hours before. The coroner's inquest disclosed the
fact that the day before his death he had purchased a small quantity
of potassium cyanide for the purpose of cleaning some recent purchases
of silver coins. Once in his room, Saltus ordered a bottle of ginger ale,
and after his death two glasses were found on the dressing table, the
first contained the cyanide and the second some ginger ale. Mrs. Camp-
bell told of having often seen Saltus clean coins with cyanide and of
having begged him to give up using it, telling him that "it was only a
question of time when something awful would happen."44 While
Saltus was cleaning his new coins for presentation to the British So-
ciety he must have picked up the wrong glass. The coroner's verdict
was "Death by Misadventure" which in the United States would have
been "Death by Accident."45
Saltus had accumulated a magnificent collection of decorations in
the course of his life and quite a number of these were in the possession
of the Society at the time of his death. The residuary legatees of his
estate decided to permit the Society to retain permanent possession of
all such property without restriction.
The outburst of interest in medallic art began as soon as the United
States joined in the World War. Shortly after that event the noted
American sculptor and medallist, Eli Harvey, was engaged by the
Society to execute a commemorative piece. Harvey was particularly
renowned for his work on animal sculpture and decorations for the
lion-house at the New York Zoological Park. The American bald-
headed eagle was chosen as the design for the new medal. In view of
Harvey's outstanding success in the reproduction of wild-life a dynamic
picture of the living bird was chosen rather than the symbolic represen-
tation which is so often shown. The final model was approved by
William T. Hornaday, Director of the New York Zoological Park, and
216 COMING OF AGE
it enjoys the distinction of being the most life-like portrayal of an eagle
ever produced in medallic art.46 The original idea for the design of the
medal, which bore the date April 6, 1917, for the Declaration of War
against Germany, came from William G. McAdoo, the Secretary of
the Treasury, who was interested in using this medal to forward
Liberty Bond Sales. Edward Adams offered to bear the initial expense
of $500 in connection with this enterprise, and the Council quickly
seized the opportunity.47 A specimen of the medal was later sent to
General Pershing who had made a specialty of studying these birds.
Other copies of the medal were dispatched to Secretary of the Navy
Daniels, and various prominent men at home and abroad. The medal
was very well received and, at their request, the Bankers Trust Company
was granted permission to use the design in their Third Liberty Loan
Circular. A large bronze plaque of the original model was placed in the
company's offices for all to see.48 Newspapers over the country re-
quested permission to reproduce it. Since it was widely known from
use on Liberty Loan posters, it proved to be one of the most successful
issues.
In 1917, the Society was consulted when the Parish of St. Bartholo-
mew decided to issue a medal commemorating the laying of the corner-
stone of its new building. William B. Osgood Field took the initiative
in this instance and suggested that the piece be issued under the So-
ciety's auspices. Newell and Eidlitz were asked to represent the organi-
zation in superintending the making of the medal which was issued
that summer. Since the moving force in the issuance of this medal
came from the church, this piece has never been listed among the spe-
cimens struck by the organization. It does, however, bear the seal of
the American Numismatic Society and should therefore be reckoned
among its sponsored art works.
A similar event took place in the same year when at the request of
Robert W. De Forest, President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art
and Chairman of the Mayor's Committee for the Celebration of the
Completion of the Catskill Aqueduct, the Society issued a medal to
record that engineering feat. Daniel C. French, a member of both the
National Academy of Design and of the Society, created the piece
which was cast rather than struck.49 Circulars were sent to the members
1915-1930 217
and to those on the Mayor's Committee with the result that twelve
copies were issued in silver and fifty-seven in bronze. This, however, was
rather gratifying in view of the high prices which were asked. The
Society's participation in this enterprise justifiably established a pre-
cedent for future civic issues.
It was not long before this policy began to bear fruit. The visit of
the British and French War Commissions to the city in 1917 was the
occasion for a request to give commemoration to this event. The ob-
verse of this new piece was also designed by Daniel C. French, but the
reverse was prepared by another member of the Society, Miss Evelyn
B. Longman.50 It was a beautiful medal showing a head of Victory
crowned by a trench helmet to which was bound a sprig of oak, a lily,
and a cluster of pine needles as emblems of England, France, and the
United States. It bore the inscription TO COMMEMORATE THE VISIT
TO NEW YORK OF THE FRENCH AND BRITISH WAR COMMISSIONS 1917.
The reverse depicted a group of three figures. The inspiration of France
personified by Joan of Arc, and the chivalry of England in the person
of a mediaeval knight, both in full armor, were shown seeking the
aid of American Liberty in the war for freedom. Five medals were
issued in gold and presented to M. Rene Viviani and Marshall Joseph
Joffre of the French Commission and the Right Hon. Arthur James
Balfour and Lieutenant-General G.T.M. Bridges of the British Com-
mission as well as to the former Mayor of New York City, the Hon.
John Purroy Mitchel. The committee in charge also decided to offer
it to art institutions and others in the form of a limited number of
replicas.
It was quite obvious that the Society was enjoying a period of great
medallic productivity, and in July 1918, Robert J. Eidlitz recommend-
ed still another medal to commemorate the observance of the Fourth
of July by other nations. Three or four sculptors were asked to make
suggestions for this piece, but the final design was that of Allen G.
Newman, a winner of the prize offered by the National Arts Club for
a Valor Medal and the designer of a medal of Joan of Arc.51 In 1918,
the Independence Day celebration was given world-wide significance
and meaning by the number of participating nations including Great
Britain, Belgium, Greece, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Nicara-
2I8 COMING OF AGE
gua, Guatemala, Peru, Cuba, Portugal, Servia, Italy, and France. All
these countries were represented by escutcheons on the reverse while
the obverse showed a figure of a woman lightly touching the Liberty
Bell. The inscription of the date JULY 4, 1776 made the meaning clear.
The reverse stated in bold words TO COMMEMORATE THE INTERNA-
TIONAL CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENCE DAY JULY 4, 1918. The Subscrip-
tion for the piece, however, was not large, for it was restricted to the
members of the Society and the members of the Mayor's Committee
on National Defense.
More intriguing than this piece was the issuance of another medal
to honor the King and Queen of the Belgians. In 1918, the royal pair
had flown from Belgium to England, and J. Sanford Saltus, who was
always vitally interested in the careers of European royalty, requested
that the Society strike a piece in honor of "the first king of the air."
He offered to pay for the dies and one gold specimen for the King.
The medal was designed by Theodore Spicer-Simpson, an artist of
international reputation, and was somewhat less bombastic than Saltus
had suggested. On the obverse were the jugate heads of the royal pair
encircled by the inscription KING ALBERT AND QUEEN ELIZABETH OF
THE BELGIANS. Beneath the busts on a scroll were the words (Horum
omnium} FORTISSIMI SUNT BELGAE, a quotation from Caesar's Commen-
tary on the Gallic War which is usually translated "The bravest of all
these are the Belgians." The Belgian monarchs had crossed the English
Channel in both directions by air to be present at the silver anniversary
of the marriage of King George and Queen Mary of England. The re-
verse showed the airplane in flight over the waves with a gull in the
foreground and contained the inscription COMMEMORATING THEIR
AERIAL CROSSING OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL JULY 1918. A gold specimen
was presented to the King and Queen with other unnumbered silver
specimens destined for Victor Emmanuel III of Italy, Alfonso XIII of
Spain, and Manuel II of Portugal who were Honorary Members of the
Society.52 Saltus presented still another copy in a tinted metal to the
British Numismatic Society and bore the entire expense for the enter-
prise.53 The final touch to this project, however, came in a suggestion
which pleased Saltus very much and which he referred to as "very Euro-
pean." It was proposed that the gold for the specimen to be given to the
1915-1930 219
King should be obtained by melting Belgian gold coins.54 Indeed, Saltus
was so pleased with the actual results of the project that before he de-
parted for Europe he requested that the Society should prepare ten more
copies in silver and an additional ten in bronze which he could distri-
bute to friends and societies abroad.55
Quite naturally the signing of the Peace of Versailles was the subject
for a new medal in 1919. Indeed, the decision to strike such a medal was
taken some time before the actual signing of the document. Since time
was not a crucial factor in the issuance, a competition was arranged
among various artists to determine the final design. The competitors were
limited to the sculptor-members of the Society, and the contest was
closed on January 15, 1919, with Chester A. Beach the victor.56 Since
the contest and the actual designing of the piece were carried forward
so rapidly, it was necessary to delay before striking the medal, so that
its issuance would coincide with the signing. The winner of the compe-
tition was one of the younger American sculptors who had already
established an enviable reputation.57 In this medal, Beach tried to
combine in symbolic form all the hopes felt by the peoples involved
in the negotiations at Versailles. The description given in the circular
of the Committee on the Publication of Medals is well worth repeating
verbatim:
On the obverse Peace is shown with the palm branch and wreath of victorya
beautiful womanly embodiment. On the other side of the winged horse, there is the
manly form of Justicea figure of Right Triumphant. The helmet of conflict is still
upon his head, but the sheathed sword shows that the battle has been won. At the
side, the wreathed scales appear. Justice and Peace advance together. Above the
longing for peace and justice, however, the treaty of 1919 is distinguished beyond all
others by the earnest desire that in future, war may be eliminated. The powerful
figure mounted on Pegasus expresses the idea of the League of Nations incorporated
in this treaty. The clasped book of the law and the dynamic outstretched arm need
no interpretingthe forcefulness of the type and its virility suggest that henceforth
the principals of righteousness will be in control. This thought is further emphasized
in the fallen figure of destruction, whose torch is being trampled beneath the foot of
Justice. In its lines, in its planes and in the composition this is a monumental design.
On the reverse is shown the palace of Versailles where the treaty was signed. The
sun is bursting through the clouds of war and its rays light up the facade. The whole
is framed by a decorative wreath. The inscription Peace of Versailles, 1919, and the
name of The American Numismatic Society complete the design.
220 COMING OF AGE
A successful medal, which achieved distinction because of the beauty
of the obverse figure as well as the distinctive Gothic lettering, was pro-
duced in the same year by Miss Anna Vaughn Hyatt. Miss Hyatt
had created the singularly fine statue of Joan of Arc, placed on River-
side Drive overlooking the Hudson. The surrounding portion of the
slope was transformed into a park which the City of New York named
in honor of the Saint. Naturally, the Society, because of its connection
with the original statue, chose to commemorate this dedication as well,
and Miss Hyatt consented to make the design for the new medal. The
piece itself was distinguished by the mediaeval style which was woven
into the figure of Joan in armor bearing a sword, which she grasps
about the blade with both hands, while viewing the cross formed by
the junction of the pommel, blade, and guard. An inscription in Gothic
lettering reading HOMAGE TO THE MAID OF FRANCE further contributes
to the mediaeval flavor. The reverse shows the banner of Joan of Arc
with other pennants fluttering behind conveying the suggestion of the
ceremonies at the dedication. It bears the inscription, also in Gothic
letters JOAN OF ARC PARK DEDICATED JANUARY 6, 1919.58 By a fortunate
set of circumstances, the actual piece appeared in the same year as the
canonization of St. Joan in Rome and therefore served doubly as a timely
tribute.69
The year 1919 was one which witnessed more than the usual number
of members of European royalty visiting the United States. Reports of
the peregrinations of these people reached J. Sanford Saltus in Paris,
and he determined to celebrate each of these events in medallic form.
The Prince of Wales was one to make the voyage and also the King and
Queen of the Belgians. Unfortunately, it was at this very moment that
President Wilson was stricken, so that an official visit became quite
impossible for the Belgian royal family, with the result that no medal
was issued for their voyage. In the case of the Prince of Wales, on the
other hand, Saltus wrote to Noe, "If the Prince of Wales comes to the
U.S. or even any part of America, I want a medal struck in honour of
his visit." Saltus offered to donate the amount required by the artist,
the diesinker, and for one gold medal to be presented to the Prince and
six silver specimens for the Society. The details of the arrangements
were left in the hands of the responsible officials of the Society.60 The
Medal in Honor of Visit of Marshall Foch to the U.S.
Medal Commemorating the Ride of Paul Revere
Medal Commemorating Tercentenary of Purchase of Manhattan from the Indians
Albert R. Frey
Confederate Half Dollar
1915-1930 221
final product was the creation of John Flanagan, pupil of Augustus
Saint-Gaudens. Saltus had other copies of the medal struck for presen-
tation to various persons and organizations after the final arrangements
had been made.61 On November 18th, the presentation ceremonies to
Edward, Prince of Wales were held aboard the H.M.S. Renown. The
Committee, composed of Newell, Reilly, and Drowne for the Governors
and Gillingham and Dr. Thompson for the Council, was taken aboard
the warship and presented to the Prince. Newell made an informal
speech of presentation and at the same time managed to ask the Prince
whether he would accept an honorary membership in the Society.
(Newell was in turn requested to present this invitation in writing.)
The medal bore a portrait of the Prince in profile with his crest in the
field and the inscription EDWARD PRINCE OF WALES. The reverse showed
a welcoming figure of Columbia while at both sides of the field there
were oak branches which were national emblems of Great Britain. In
the field to the left of Columbia was the inscription COMMEMORATING /
THE VISIT OF / H.R.H. THE PRINCE / OF WALES / TO THE / UNITED STATES /
NOVEMBER / M c M XIX below which was the seal of the Society with
the letters ANS inscribed across it.62 The case in which the medal
was presented was of equal beauty, and Dr. Kunz was so struck
by it that he photographed it for Saltus. The natural grain of the
wood came out to perfection, and on it was a statement bearing
witness to the fact that the wood came from a tree planted by the Prince
himself.63
The Belgian monarchs, even though their visit could not be complete-
ly official, did come amid a wave of good feeling in 1919. Saltus pressed
strongly for a fund to strike a medal in honor of this event, but the
numerous medallic issues that had recently appeared resulted in
apathy for the new venture. In a final offer he made a plea for striking
such a medal with the expenses being borne by him in the same way
as for the Prince of Wales piece, but this also was unsuccessful.64 As the
time for the visit neared he wired in desperation, "Wrote you yester-
dayBelgians sail Mondayif required I will donate all expense of
medalquick work needed." By this time it was too late, but he had
given an earlier proposal in one of his letters which was accepted. On
August 11 th, he had written from Paris.
222 COMING OF AGE
The King and Queen will be the first King and Queen to 'Visit' the U.S. They
come from a country that fought with us, and the King is an Honorary Member of
the Society. I am sure, it would hurt us not to strike a medal to mark the Royal
Visit, of the first of our Royal members to visit America. It has also occurred to
me that it would be a graceful act on the part of our Society to, should She come
to America, to elect Her an Honorary Member, so at the next, or the next proper,
meeting of The American Numismatic Society,
I propose for Honorary Membership
Her Majesty, The Queen of the Belgians.
It was realized that a proper procedure might be arranged in which
the Queen would be elected to Honorary Membership and presented
with a gold membership medal. This was communicated to Saltus,
and he readily agreed.65
A formal invitation to visit the Society was extended to the King
and Queen through Baron de Cartier, the Belgian Ambassador, but the
number of other visits required made this impossible.66 The presentation
was carried out at a reception held at the New York Public Library on
Saturday, October 4, 1919. It was an informal gathering with about
twenty war relief organizations represented. Those delegated by the
various societies stood about and applauded as the royal party entered.
After one or two of the other delegates had been greeted by the Belgian
monarchs, Newell was asked to make the presentation to the Queen.67
After this spate of medallic issues, President Newell commented at
length upon this particular activity in his Presidential Address of 1920.
He said:
Nearly all the foremost medallists in America have now, one after the other,
been called upon to assist in making our series of medals the finest that has ever been
issued by any society in our country, and we may be justly proud of it. It appears to
me, from several points of view, that activity is one of the most important that can
be undertaken by our Society. Continued progress in this particular field cannot
fail to increase still further the slowly awakening interest in the Art of the Medal in
America, and therefore to encourage artists to make this one of their principal in-
stead of one their minor forms of expression. It is unquestionably true that of late
years, possibly due to the war, possibly to other factors, medallic art both here and
abroad has fallen below the standard that might have been expected. Now, with
the quickening to art that in the past has so often followed a great war, with the
changed conditions and new outlooks that have been brought about by what may
1915-1930 223
or may not have been an unmitigated evil, medallic art ought certainly to blossom
forth afresh, and it should be our Society's proudest boast that it was one of the
first to encourage as well as to take advantage of such a revival. There fortunately
remain a number of foremost artists in our country whose talents could profitably be
employed by the Society, this coming year, to increase still further the value of our
medallic series. Thus we may expect not only to retain the interest of many lovers of
this form of art who have recently joined our Society principally because of the fine
medals being published by it, but also to secure further members who will soon come
to see that otherwise they are missing a unique opportunity in not becoming one
of us. It would indeed be lacking in gratitude of the most elementary nature if we
did not here state that the remarkable achievement of 1919 is very largely due to the
initiative and to the untiring generosity of our great friend, Mr.J. Sanford Saltus,
who in many cases made it possible for us to enter upon the striking of a medal.
An illustration of the commanding position assumed by the Society
in medallic art in America is provided by the Red Cross medal which
Daniel C. French was asked to design in 192O.68 Robert W. De Forest,
then Vice-President of the American Red Cross, wrote to Newell
suggesting that substantially the same procedure be followed in the
case of this medal as was used in the issuance of the Catskill Aqueduct
piece.69 Thus the Society had nothing to do with the actual approval
of the design nor did the finished piece even bear its seal though the
medal has always been listed among those sponsored by it. The fact
that the Society had attained a pre-eminent position among the medal-
lic issuing bodies in this country was responsible for a stream of re-
quests for its participation in such enterprises. Many private groups
found it advisable to follow the path chosen by the City and to asso-
ciate the name of the American Numismatic Society with their pro-
jected issues. Thus, as a second example, the Century Association
issued a medal in honor of Joseph Hodges Choate in 1922, 70 and even
later when a medal in honor of Cardinal Mercier of Belgium was struck
by the noted Belgian artist Jourdain the Society was asked to aid in the
project. The Cardinal had visited America after the war, and he was
very popular here. All proceeds from the sale of this piece were used
for the charities of Cardinal Mercier, and the Society offered to take
charge of its sale without cost.
Constantly on the alert, Saltus proposed still another medal on
learning that Marshall Foch was to visit New York in October 1921.
224 COMING OF AGE
He forwarded a cablegram requesting that the Society strike a medal
of Marshall Foch at his expense.71 Naturally, this did not give very
much time for a competitive series of designs, so Robert Aitken, the
designer of the Panama-Pacific Commemorative Quintuple Eagle
(the first $50 gold piece issued under the authority of the United
States), was requested to undertake the assignment because of the
rapidity of his work and his readiness to begin immediately.72 In the
meantime, the Society established contact with Grover A. Whalen,
Vice-Chairman of the Mayor's Committee on Ceremony.73 Fortunately,
Marshall Foch had been asked to lay the cornerstone of the new build-
ing of the American Academy of Arts and Letters which adjoined the
Society's own edifice on Audubon Terrace. On the same day, Novem-
ber 19th, the presentation of the gold medal was made in the Society's
building in the presence of the Council and a limited number of guests.
John Reilly, Jr., Acting-President in the absence of Newell, made a
short presentation address, and, at a later date, replicas in bronze and
silver were offered to members of the Society, the Alliance Franchise
and the Institut Fran$aise aux Etats-Unis. The medal itself was a
simple one showing a portrait of the Marshall on the obverse and a
welcoming figure of Victory on the reverse.74
During 1924 no medals were issued by the Society, but 1925 was the
15oth anniversary of the historic ride of Paul Revere, and the decision
was made to issue a commemorative piece. The design was entrusted
to Anthony de Francisci, who had modelled the Peace Dollar and the
Maine Centennial Half Dollar. Several of the New England societies
were given the opportunity to participate in this subscription.75 The
choice of subject matter served a dual purpose. Most of the recent
issues of the Society had been devoted to foreigners because of the
interests of J. Sanford Saltus, and this had caused some measure of
criticism. Still, the response to the request for subscriptions was some-
what disappointing. Through the generous support of several of the
leading jewellers and booksellers on Fifth Avenue and one firm in
Boston, the medals were offered for sale at cost, but the piece proved a
financial failure.76 No medal with a satisfactory likeness of Paul Revere
had ever been struck, and the portraits by Gilbert Stuart and St.
Memin showed him only during his advanced years. The portrait in
1915-1930 225
profile which occupied the reverse was necessarily imaginative. Below
was the inscription in parallel lines PATRIOT / SILVERSMITH-SOLDIER /
ENGRAVER and beneath that a sword and a silver bowl entwined with
a fillet. The reverse was the part which excited the most comment. The
subject was quite naturally the midnight ride immortalized by Long-
fellow. The horse was depicted facing right with Revere facing the saddle
about to mount. This was the feature which caused most criticism be-
cause the attitude assumed by Revere placed him mounting from the
wrong flank.77
The last of the medals in this period was one issued to commemorate
the Tercentenary of the Purchase of Manhattan Island. Originally, it
had been contemplated to strike a piece in honor of the founding of
New York, but it was soon discovered that the evidence for the date
1623 was rather weak, and that sufficient justification for a settlement
prior to the purchase of the island in 1626 could not be found. The
project was therefore postponed until 1926, and Hermon A. MacNeil
was asked to create a suitable medal in conjunction with the celebration
of the Tercentenary.78 For this particular issue the assistance of the New-
York Historical Society was received. The object in MacNeil's mind
was to express the progress that had taken place on Manhattan Island
since its purchase. On the obverse a group of Indians are shown
bartering with the Governor, and in the background the sails and
part of the hull of the high-pooped Dutch ship can be seen. Strings of
wampum serve to enclose the entire scene and the word MANHATTAN
in the exergue. In addition, the date 1626 occurs in the upper left
quadrant of the field. The reverse is much more symbolic and re-
quires a closer survey. It was the artist's aim to depict the ideals
which had led to the City's greatness and upon which the future de-
pended. Jugate male and female figures, with wings outspread to in-
dicate that they are personifications, are shown striding right. The
virility of the one figure represents the commercial progress of the City,
while the grace of the companion is the embodiment of the intellectual
life of the municipality. The skyline of Manhattan served to link this
scene with the concept of change, and in the lower left quadrant ap-
peared the initials of the two sponsoring groups, A.N.S. / N.Y.H.S.79 Despite
the fact that this piece received support from both sponsoring organi-
15
226 COMING OF AGE
zations, it was a financial failure. In view of this lack of interest on
the part of the members and the fact that Saltus' sponsorship was
no longer available, an interval of thirteen years was to elapse before
the next piece was issued.
In addition to the production of numismatic works of art, the So-
ciety retained its strong interest in the publication of scholarly studies.
At the very beginning of the period covered by this chapter the most
important of the works sponsored was the American Journal of Numis-
matics which had improved considerably in quality under the watch-
ful eye of the Publication Committee. In 1915, this Committee consisted
of Reilly, Field, and Wood, and later of Reilly, Wood, and Noe.
Among the outstanding works to be published under the Society's
sponsorship during this period was a Dictionary of Numismatic Names by
Albert R. Frey, which appeared as volume fifty of the Journal. In
addition, Newell had begun the publication of the series of Seleucid
studies with a paper on the mint of Antioch which appeared in the
succeeding issue. There were, however, great difficulties facing the
Society at this time in the lack of publication funds. Manuscripts might
be submitted, but unless there was a sufficient sum at the disposal of the
Committee there was no possibility of putting them before the public.80
Once the small funds were exhausted, it was necessary to turn to the
friends of the Society for additional resources. Fortunately, these
friends never deserted the Society, and Archer M. Huntington and
Edward T. Newell were constant in their support of the Journal.*1 The
Journal was necessarily a constant drain, and it came out irregularly.
This strain was too great, and it finally passed out of existence after
the publication of volume fifty-three in 1924.
At the monthly meeting of the Board of Governors held on April 27,
1920, a careful study was made of the ways and means for the pro-
duction of a new series of volumes to be known as Numismatic Notes and
Monographs. Archer M. Huntington was particularly interested in this
new enterprise, donating funds to carry out this project. The format
of the new series was determined by him.
The new series, despite the seemingly convenient format for publi-
cation, was not designed for production of popular works, but was
rather to be devoted to "original scholarship." Only the most scholarly
1915-1930 227
treatises were to be included in the Numismatic Notes and Monographs.
Naturally this did not exclude books which because of the subject
matter or the excellence of the treatment would achieve a wider cir-
culation, but it did establish criteria other than popularity for deciding
whether or not to publish a particular work. The announcement of the
anonymous gift and the conditions imposed upon its use filled a gap
in the numismatic activities of the Society. With the establishment
of the new series the Society was "enabled to take its rightful place
alongside the great societies and museums of Europe in the publication
of works of real scientific value."82
The first volume in the new series was particularly welcome because
of its importance. Sydney P. Noe had written a short monograph on
coin hoards which was used to initiate the new project. Ten other
works appeared in the first year of the series. There was another one
by Noe, three by Newell, and one each by Wood, Westervelt, Miss
Baldwin, Perez, and Smith. The subject matter covered in these vol-
umes ranged over the entire field of numismatics including ancient
and modern coins and medals as well as jetons.
The editing and management of the publications of the Society had
originally been confided to Howland Wood, but with new works
appearing at such a pace it was quite apparent that he could not
continue this activity along with his curatorial work. It was also obvious
that the Secretary and Librarian, Noe, was also fitted to handle this task
by reason of his training. The Council, in October 1921, appointed Noe
Editor and Publication Manager with the duty of reporting directly
to the Council.
For the first time in its history the Society could actively contem-
plate a continuous publication of longer works of a high order of merit.
The articles in the American Journal of Numismatics had tended to be-
come longer as they became more scholarly and detailed, and there
had also been the drawback, noted by the Committee on Publications,
that once a work appeared in the Journal the authors very often feared
that it would lose some of its effect by being accompanied by others
on still other subjects. This might have caused some of the members to
hesitate before submitting the results of their research. The new series
obviated that difficulty by making it possible to produce each work
228 COMING OF AGE
separately, and the resources were plentiful enough so that the Com-
mittee could actually solicit new monographs.83 Quite naturally, with
the increased activity in this field, it became necessary to stipulate the
exact duties of the publication staff and the Committee on Publications.
The Committee, appointed by the President, was to have the final
governing authority about whether or not a manuscript was to be
published. The Publication Staff, which included Noe as Editor and
Wood as Associate Editor as well as an assistant, was to receive all
manuscripts and to make recommendations to the Committee regard-
ing the value of the various articles submitted. It was, however, de-
cided that the composition of the Staff should not be determined by the
Committee on Publications but by the Governors. Thus, there were
two independent bodies which could act as a check upon one another.
This arrangement apparently worked to the best advantage, for during
1922 the new volumes were received abroad with high praise. Six mon-
ographs were published during that year, and three were derived
from European scholars of note, R. B. Whitehead, George F. Hill, and
M. P. Vlasto.84 It was all the more remarkable that this record was
achieved during a period when Noe was abroad and Wood was per-
force carrying the entire burden of the publications alone as well as
the curatorial office.
In 1923, as the year was drawing to a close, it was noted that the
Publication Fund which had been used for the Journal contained less
than $2,500. This amount could hardly accommodate the articles which
the Society had already promised to publish and in addition the Pro-
ceedings would have to be issued. The Proceedings of 1921-1923 had
appeared in the Numismatic Notes and Monographs series, but it was noted
that there was an unusually large number of excellent articles waiting
to appear. Consequently, it was decided to issue the Proceedings through
The Numismatist as had been done in the years 1918-1920. For the
next two years this policy was adhered to, but in 1926 it was finally
shown that the guide lines which had been included in the original
format of the series added appreciably to the cost of printing. Under the
terms of the original grant any changes of format had to have the
approval of the donor, and this was quickly given, with the under-
standing that the actual size of the book was not to be increased. Even
1915-1930 229
so, it was possible to increase the length of the individual lines so that a
longer text might be included on each page, and, of course, much
more might be printed at reduced cost. The Proceedings of the Annual
Meeting of 1926 appeared in the new format which was used con-
sistently thereafter.85
The entire history of the publications of the Society was reviewed
by President Newell in his address to the Annual Meeting of January 8,
1927. He told how it had become necessary to end the publication of
the Journal in the post war period, and how Archer M. Huntington,
in 1920, had brought forward the idea for a new series. Not all works
of scientific merit, however, could be fitted into the restricted format
of the new series, and so Newell pointed out that the Society had the
responsibility to publish other works from time to time. Two such
works were scheduled to be published in 1927, one dealing with a
little studied field of ancient numismatics and the other with an im-
portant phase of American coinage. In the course of that year, Bauman
L. Belden's work on Indian Peace Medals and Newell's on The Coinages
of Demetrius Poliorcetes, which was published in London by the Oxford
University Press, were issued. These joined a series of other publications
such as Miss Baldwin's Electrum Coinage of Lampsakos published in 1914,
and William's The Gold Coinage of Latin America in the following year.
Between these two early works and those of Belden and Newell, a series
of four other works by Newell, three of which had first been published
in the Journal, were printed separately. The cost in the case of these
publications was usually borne by the author.
It would be pointless to recite the titles of the many well-known
works which have appeared since the inception of the active program
for publication, but it must be admitted that the Numismatic Notes and
Monographs series, which has grown consistently with time, never
declined in scholarship. Today, it is conceded to be one of the most
important series of volumes devoted to numismatic research. Its re-
putation has grown with its age. The Society was not solely devoted to
the publication of works already written, but also to the stimulation
of new research and writing.
The events of this period from 1915 to 1930 illustrate as clearly as
any the importance of continuing support from an active membership.
230 COMING OF AGE
A Society of this type, however, does not draw its support from all
members equally but rather to a greater degree from those who have
the means and the will. Quite naturally, the growth in the collections
represents by far the greatest single evidence of this generosity on the
part of the members. For this period, the figures illustrating that growth
are so large that it is no longer possible to mention any but the most
important accessions. A survey of the total history of the accessions was
prepared by the Curator in 1923, and the tale told by the figures which
mounted from 160 pieces in 1858 to almost 11,000 pieces in 1922 is
sufficient to show the vast growth of more recent times.
By far the greatest area of growth in the numismatic collection oc-
curred in the Oriental field. Pandit Ratan Narian of Delhi had as-
sembled a magnificent collection of Orientalia including Siamese
porcelain tokens and many Indian coins. This collection was purchased
by Joseph H. Durkee about 1887 and passed from him to the Metropo-
litan Museum of Art. In 1917, negotiations with the Museum were
successful, and this entire collection was placed in the Society's build-
ing on a five year loan with the added proviso that it could only be
withdrawn after that date upon six months notice.86 The Annual Meet-
ing of 1918 was greeted with the news that 17,513 Oriental coins had
been added to the collection during the preceding year.87 The vast
majority of these coins resulted from the acquisition of two collections
which had been assembled by Edward T. Newell and Howland Wood.
For the first time, the Society occupied a position of pre-eminence in this
new field. The Far Eastern section had been vastly improved when the
Lo Collection had been acquired some years before, and still later
when John Reilly, Jr. moved his coins and Orientalia into the build-
ing. Now the Mohammedan series was well represented.
It is impossible to give more than these sketchy details of the indi-
vidual acquisitions which made the Society the possessor of one of the
finest Oriental collections in the world. With the possession of this vast
store of research material there was quite naturally some pressure for
the establishment of a new committee devoted to it.88 Such a Commit-
tee on Oriental Coins was functioning by 1921. In the following year,
President Newell presented to the Society still another gift including
approximately 8,000 pieces of the Valentine Collection of copper coins.
The Bechtler Press
Julius Guttag (left] receives his 50-year
Gold Medal from President Panosh of
American Numismatic Association
New Building for American Numismatic Society under Construction (1929)
Exterior of American Numismatic Society (1930)
Western Exhibition Room (1930)
1915-1930 231
Visitors to the Society, even from the lands in which these coins were
still to be found, were astounded on seeing the collection. R. B. White-
head, who had been in the Indian Civil Service, and was a well-known
student and writer on Indian numismatics, expressed his surprise both
at the quality and extent of the material available at the Society.89
Naturally enough, there were also gifts of individual pieces of great
rarity. The possession of such items marks a great collection as distin-
guished from simply a very large one. In 1918, one such rarity, the
Confederate half-dollar was donated to the Society by J. Sanford
Saltus.90 This was one of two known specimens, and its possession has
been a source of pride from the date of its receipt. It was mentioned at
several points in the Proceedings of 1919, and all subsequent treatments
of the Society's cabinet never fail to record its presence.
In 1920, the William R. Powell Collection of coins, medals, and to-
kens relating to Napoleon was presented to the Society.91 Powell had
sent this entire mass of material, which included some specimens re-
lating to the French Revolution, to the Society as a gift. The Council
promptly elected him an Honorary Fellow and, as we have seen, an
exhibition was devoted to these historic pieces. At the time of the gift
Powell had not even been a member of the Society, and thus his do-
nation was also a good omen of the fact that the museum was now
recognized as an institution of national importance.
The members of the Council, particularly President Newell, and the
members of the staff, were also very active in encouraging the growth
of the collection by a series of gifts. Those of Newell far exceed the
limits imposed upon this history and only the largest and most impor-
tant have been recorded. Howland Wood's donations were not on such a
scale, but they were equally significant as the pruduct of the work of a
skilled numismatist. Other members purchased sections of Wood's col-
lection and gave them to the Society. As an example, in 1919, William
P. Beaver, purchased a section of Wood's American coins and medals
and combined them with his own. He then presented the organization
with a total of about 800 coins and medals, chiefly political, including
a group of'Bryan' free silver medals.92 This was an important donation
because the high prices charged for American coins precluded many
purchases and also restricted the number of gifts of such pieces.
232 COMING OF AGE
In 1921, the Dr. A. F. R. Hoernle Collection of 1,726 specimens,
formed by the distinguished English scholar who had been for many
years the Examiner of Treasure Trove for the Indian Government,
was presented by Newell.93
In the succeeding years, the coins of Central Asia and the Near East
seem to have been received in greater numbers. In 1922, the first of the
pieces from the General Starosselsky Collection were acquired. A long
residence in Persia prior to World War I had enabled this Imperial
Russian officer to acquire a large number of coins among which there
was a predominance of Persian pieces and those of neighboring coun-
tries. The Society was permitted to make a selection with the result
that the process of acquiring those which were desired extended as late
as 1938 when a total of 1,125 pieces were purchased.94 These were later
joined by 2,000 other Near Eastern coins from the James B. Nies Col-
lection which had been bequeathed to the Society upon the death of
its owner, an active member.95 Three years later, still another five
hundred Moslem coins of types or varieties not in the cabinet were
added from the Longworth Dames Collection which was sold in 1927.
These included some exceptionally rare Afghan issues of the Durranis.96
Many of these were donated by Newell and the remainder were
purchased.
The collection of Indian Peace Medals was naturally of greatest
interest to Bauman L. Belden, who wrote the classic study of them in
1927. As Chairman of the Committee in charge of these medals, Belden
succeeded in collecting from subscribers a sufficient amount of money
for the purchase of the Wyman Collection. With the acquisition of
these pieces, the Society's holdings of Indian Peace Medals took a com-
manding position.
Quite naturally, the very growth of the Society's holdings stimulated
others to give their collections in the full knowledge that they would
be safe and well cared for by experienced curators. In 1925, a collection
assembled by Frank I. Liveright containing 1,743 varieties of metallic
currency of World War I, chiefly German and French, was given to
the Society. In 1940, Liveright added still another 2,000 Canadian
tokens to his gift. The year after this first donation, Felix Warburg had
also presented the Society with some choice Greek and Roman speci-
1915-1930 233
mens, but perhaps the most impressive gift to the eyes of the visitor to
the museum was received in 1928, when Julius Guttag donated the
coining press used by the Bechtlers for minting their private gold in
North Carolina. It has consistently attracted a great deal of attention
from visitors. Julius Guttag, moreover, continued to add to this gift
by donations of recent issues of foreign currency as well as German and
Austrian paper money and tokens of the first World War. In 1934, a
selection from his outstanding Latin American collection was presented,
and it included 1,653 coins, tokens, and medals.97 This collection had
already been described in a book written by Guttag.
This rather astonishing growth in the resources of the Society, both
in terms of the library and the various collections, necessarily caused
the Council to consider the problem of expansion of facilities. As early
as 1922, Bauman L. Belden had noted that the building was becoming
more and more crowded and the need for space was continually in-
creasing. He proposed that a Building Committee be appointed to
consider the ways and means. The vacant lot to the west of the museum,
already in the possession of the Society, was available for such a pro-
ject, and this proposal was quickly accepted in a unanimous vote.98
Less than a quarter of a century before, the Society had been harassed
by the lack of an appropriate home, but now it was considering ex-
pansion of facilities which seemed more than adequate at the time of
their construction.
The Committee on Building was appointed by President Newell and
appears to have met on several occasions during the year, but funds
were the basic need. These discussions were being carried out at the
very moment that the Society was undergoing its most pressing period
of want. A new solution was offered in 1923 when Archer M. Hunting-
ton informed Newell that it was his intention to deed to the American
Numismatic Society the land directly back of the Church of Our Lady
of Esperanza and bordering on the plot already presented by him. On
this land, beneath the continuation of the terrace connecting the build-
ing of the American Academy of Arts and Letters with the main
portion of Audubon Terrace, a large vault had been constructed which
would be available for storage. Huntington's generosity, however,
went even further, for he provided a concrete and masonry connection
234 COMING OF AGE
between that vault and the basement floor of the existing building.
This sensibly eased the crowding within the Society's quarters, but it
could not be an adequate solution, because the entire vault was under-
ground and therefore unsuitable for use as a library or working space.
In 1924, the problem of a new building was still before the Council,
and various plans for raising the necessary capital were proposed. An-
other committee was established. Newell, in his Presidential Address
of 1925, pointed to the difficult conditions that had arisen in connec-
tion with lack of space. The library had expanded until it had burst
the bounds of the original room set aside for it and encompassed the
entrance to the museum with books from the floor to the ceiling. Many
volumes had to be kept in the basement to provide a suitable working
area on the first floor for Reilly and Wood. At the same time the size
of the numismatic collection was so great that it overflowed that de-
partment, and whole collections were improperly housed in the gallery
on the second floor. Exhibition space had been cut to the barest
minimum and was confined to the first floor. Under these conditions,
it was hard to suggest to members and others that the Society's quarters
formed the logical place for keeping their collections. It was impossible
to promise that suitable working arrangements could be maintained.
In short, the need for a new building could not be erased from the
future. Despite the pressing financial problem which faced the So-
ciety, it had to think in terms of expansion. Newell outlined the entire
problem in the most forceful terms to the members, and made a strong
plea for support."
Nevertheless, for the next three years the lack of financial stability
forced a continual postponement of any action with regard to a new
building. By 1928, however, it was clear for all to see that the Society
would weather the storm and could move forward. At the Annual
Meeting of that year Newell gave the signal for a more intensified drive
to erect a new building:
While I am on the subject of our building I would again like to remind you of
the self-evident fact that, as the years go by, our building is not growing any larger
or roomier. A least three years ago special attention was called to the vital need of an
additional building, but any definite action had to be postponed because the neces-
sity of increasing our endowment fund was yet more vital. Your devoted Treasurer
View of Audubon Terrace Looking East
Robert Robertson, Rowland Wood, Farran Zerbc and Edward T. Newell
in front of American Numismatic Society (1935)
Medal Commemorating Sesquicentennial of the Birth of George Washington
Sydney P. Noe (1947)
Herbert E. Ives, President 1942-1947
1915-1930 235
has since worked hard on this particular problem and with a very considerable
amount of success. All thanks to him and to our friends who have so generously con-
tributed! Though we are still far, very far, from the goalas he will be the first to
assertat least we now see a little light. If I am correct in this surmise, then the
time has come for once more seriously considering the much-needed increase to our
building. It is not so much that we need more space for our increasing collections
we dobut coins, medals and paper money are comparatively small, flat affairs
and can always be stowed away for the time being. Do not stop, therefore, from in-
creasing our collections! What we do vitally need is more working space and faci-
lities for special research work and the ever-increasing number of serious students
who desire and should be encouraged to make use of our building. That, after all,
is the ultimate and most important function of our building, its library and its col-
lections. It is for the advancement and dissemination of knowledge that this building
was erected and these collections gathered togethernot for the mere purpose of
serving as a storage house. The library now has only one room left to accommodate
comfortably a single casual worker. Another student has been barely accommodated
in a cramped little alcove blasted by main force into the seried ranks of cases on the
west side of the galleryand that is all. We have no place to put even one more
student, and there are several in prospect. And we ought always to have available
space to which we could invite a member to bring his collection and himself, a not
remote possibility.100
In November of that very year, Archer M. Huntington donated the
required funds for the new building. With his customary reticence,
Huntington made the gift anonymously. A committee consisting of
Newell, Huntington, and Eidlitz was established to carry out the terms
of the donation by supervising the construction. Newell reported these
events to the membership, and circuitously told the Society that "a
certain gentleman, who very strictly insists on being known only as the
Anonymous Donor, informed me through Mr. Huntington that he was
prepared to erect for us the desperately needed addition to our present
building!" The new building was to be of four stories, not including the
basement for the heating plant, and to cover an area of sixty feet
square. Combined with the then existing museum, it would give the
Society a home with a facade of 1 oo feet and a depth of sixty feet. It
was to be constructed of stone and to conform in architecture with the
other museums on Audubon Terrace. Naturally enough, the plan
called for combining the existing structure and the new one into a
single building with an entrance in the center and a long facade. The
236 COMING OF AGE
interior as well as the facade of the two structures were to be integrated
by a series of doors into the older building so as to permit free access
from one to the other without any noticeable demarcation line.101
The construction of the new building occupied the Fall of 1929,
and it was impossible to hold the regular Fall Meeting of that year be-
cause of the work going on. Robert J. Eidlitz, who was the president of
a large, well-known construction firm, gave particular attention to the
erection of the new wing which was displayed to the delighted members
at the Seventy-second Annual Meeting on January u, 1930. The
design by H. Brooks Price, a well-known New York architect, was
most successful and impressed all favorably. The meeting of that year
began in the old building, but after a few remarks by Newell thanking
Eidlitz, and a reply by Eidlitz, the membership adjourned to the
spacious new assembly room where they listened to congratulatory
telegrams from the New York Numismatic Club.
A sum of $12,000 remained after all expenses had been paid, because
the anonymous donor had also presented the Society with a separate
check to cover the architect's fee. This money was set aside at the
suggestion of Eidlitz to serve as a Maintenance Fund which would be
invested. All these arrangements had been completed by the time of
the formal opening which was scheduled for November 13, 1930, a day
on which the American Academy of Arts and Letters intended to open
an exhibition. The Academy very kindly consented to permit the use
of their mailing list and to co-operate fully in celebrating the event.
When the day arrived, a reception was held in lieu of the Fall meeting.
The local press reported the new opening in glowing terms and ex-
plained the work of the Society.102
This was clearly the high point in the history of the Society during
the period from 1915 to 1930. The new building had been necessitated
by the numerous accessions and the increase in general activities, and
in turn was to provide the facilities for future growth.
THE MATURE YEARS
I93I-I945
w,
'ith the vigorous display of energy shown by the Society in the
quarter of a century after the acquisition of its home on Audubon Ter-
race, there began a period quite different in tenor. The Society was
now secure and prominent in the community, and its greatest task
appeared to be acting in the capacity of the senior body of numismatists
in this country and maintaining the highest standards for numismatic
scholarship. In the performance of this task, there could not have been
a better suited individual than Edward T. Newell, who led the Society
through most of the next decade. Newell was a distinguished scholar
whose enthusiasm for numismatics, not only as a discipline with values
of its own but also as an invaluable ancillary science for archaeologists
and historians, was to be a molding force in determining the course of
events.
The first half of Newell's long term in the office of President, which
extended from 1916 to 1941, was marked by the great medallic series
in the production of which Saltus had played the most prominent part.
The financial difficulties which faced the Society for several years
prevented any fully developed program from being acted upon. In
addition, there was the problem of expanding the actual physical facil-
ities which were available. This was to consume a great deal of Newell's
237
238 THE MATURE YEARS
time and energy, and to prevent the intensified application of the
resources of the organization in the channels where it would have been
most effective. The second half of Newell's presidency presented him
with the opportunity to carry out just such a program of vigorous
scholarly activity. Funds were now available for a broadened publi-
cation effort, the interest of many older and younger scholars had been
attracted, and lastly, the Society could place itself at the disposal of the
various groups engaged in excavations in Europe and the Near East.
This change in emphasis was noted in the Presidential Address de-
livered on January 10, 1931.l The body of that speech was devoted to
an explanation of the new arrangement with the Huntington Free
Library and Reading Room and a summary of the connections be-
tween the Society and the excavation groups at Dura-Europos, Seleu-
cia-on-the-Tigris, in Anatolia, and at Corinth. This marked a radical
departure from the past. Even though a great deal of energy had been
expended in arranging for the expansion of the Society into the new
wing of its building, time was found "for extending and strengthening
the very important contacts" which the organization enjoyed with
other institutions of learning and research. Numismatic advice and
assistance were furnished directly to the excavators. Largely this re-
sulted from the presence of Prof. Alfred Bellinger of Yale and President
Newell himself. Bellinger was directly connected with the excavation
at Dura-Europos, and he was later to be the author of the final report
on the coins found there.2 Before that final report, however, Bellinger
prepared four studies on the hoards found at Dura while Newell pre-
pared a fifth, and all these were published by the Society in the Numis-
matic Notes and Monographs series.3
It was quite natural that by far the largest portion of the address of
President Newell should be devoted to the new arrangement with the
Huntington Free Library and Reading Room. This agreement, which
was mentioned in the last chapter, was fully described. Early in the
winter of 1930, President Newell was suddenly asked to become one of
the members of the board of five trustees in charge of the rehabilitation
and future enlargement of the library which was located on West-
chester Square in the Bronx. The endowment of the library had been
materially increased, and more land had been purchased and added
1931-1945 239
to the previous site. On this expanded plot, a new building capable of
holding 100,000 volumes had been built and staffed with a manager,
chief librarian, two assistant librarians and other help. According to
Newell, it was the sponsor's intention to transform this purely local
reading room into an "important institution of research rather than a
public library of the ordinary type." In order to accomplish this, the
American Numismatic Society and the Museum of the American
Indian-Heye Foundation were asked to co-operate, and three of the
five members of the board of the reorganized institution were derived
from the co-operating bodies. The Museum of the American Indian
transferred its entire library to the new facilities, while the American
Numismatic Society merely removed its non-numismatic volumes and
duplicates to the new building. Part of the arrangement under which
these transfers had taken place was the establishment of a new book
purchase fund, and one-fourth of the income from this fund was to be
at the disposal of the Society for the purchase of books on numismatics
and cognate subjects. Naturally, the ownership of these new volumes
was to remain vested in the Huntington Free Library and Reading
Room, but they could be held by the Society. Liberal loan privileges
were to be extended by the Library to the Society. As was pointed out
in the last chapter, this new fund made possible the greatest advances
in the library's resources.
In the course of 1931, the full severity of the depression, which was
gripping the nation and indeed the world, became apparent. It was
necessarily a year of retrenchment. All institutions were feeling their
way forward most cautiously because of the uncertainty of the economic
situation. The American Numismatic Society had not been crippled
by the blow of the stock market crash and the subsequent business
decline, but it had definitely been hurt. Newell delivered a very short
address at the Annual Meeting of 1932 and began that address with
the old saw "happy is the country that has no history."4 The brevity of
the address permitted discussion of only the relatively small growth of
the collection, the somewhat larger increase in the library because of
the new funds, and most important of all the close contacts with the
various American scientific expeditions and schools. The aid extended
to these groups did not involve a particularly large expenditure, but
240 THE MATURE YEARS
only the use of the personnel and facilities which were already present.
Five separate excavation groups had sent their coins to the museum
for study or publication. The Oriental Institute of Chicago submitted
the coins recovered from Megiddo and AH Shar. The University Mu-
seum of the University of Pennsylvania was then engaged in excavating
at Beth-Shan, and Dr. Ovid Sellers was leading the group digging at
Beth-Zur. The coins from both these sites were sent to the museum for
examination. Dura-Europos, however, was the most important site
from the standpoint of the classical archaeologist. The other sites which
have just been mentioned had declined greatly in importance by the
advent of coinage. Dura-Europos was at its peak during the Roman
period, and the numismatic remains from there required a particularly
careful study. Yale University, which was engaged in the excavation
at that site, permitted the publication of the coinage studies to take
place through the Society. In addition, a scholar who had been trained
in numismatics by serving in the Society was engaged to prepare the
numismatic part of the work from the excavations of the University
Museum of the University of Pennsylvania at Lepethus in Cyprus,
and later with the expedition of the University of Pennsylvania in the
Troad. Finally, much assistance was given to the preparation and study
of the finds from Corinth made by an expedition of the American
School at Athens. These were scholarly advances with which the So-
ciety could associate itself without any added expenditure but with a
resulting growth in stature. As a result, every effort was made to con-
tinue this program of assistance in the succeeding years. In 1932,
Newell applied himself to the study of two hoards found at Minturno,
Italy, by the excavators of the University Museum of the University of
Pennsylvania. This was the first serious venture at Italian archaeology
to be financed with American capital, and it was of vital importance
that the results demonstrate the high caliber of American scholarship.
The final publication of these two hoards appeared in I9335
The connection with the Yale University excavations appears to have
been the most fruitful both from the standpoint of publications and the
benefit to the Society itself. In this case, with the active support of
Professors Rostovtzeff and Bellinger, the necessary complete installa-
tion for the electrolytic cleaning of the excavation pieces was installed
1931-1945 241
in the museum without cost to the Society. Naturally, the primary
purpose for this new apparatus was the cleaning of the pieces found at
Dura-Europos, but it was to remain in the possession of the Society
after that work was completed. In addition, Prof. Bellinger delivered
a lecture on the excavations at Dura at the request of the Council on
December 12, 1933.
Hoards and casual finds from numerous sites about the Mediter-
ranean began to arrive at the museum with some regularity for ex-
amination. The scholars in the field learned to utilize the assistance of
the staff of the Society to the fullest extent. In 1932, the coins which
had been recovered from the ancient city of Troy were cleaned at the
Society and a series of conferences were held with Prof. Allen B. West
about an interesting and important hoard which had been buried at
Troy during the reign of the Emperor Probus. Finds from Memphis
in Egypt and Beisan in Syria were also studied and prepared for publi-
cation. At the time Newell said:
.. .Never before has so much actual research by outside students been carried
on in our building as in 1934. The facilities of Library and Coin Room were
frequently taxed to their utmost. The scientific world is indeed in our debt not only
for the facilities offered by our building but also for the devoted help and encourage-
ment given by the Librarian, the Curator and by their several assistants.6
In the last chapter it was also noted that the Oriental collection in
the Society's cabinet had begun to assume proportions which were
worthy of greater recognition than ever before. This had the effect of
increasing the attention paid to this aspect of numismatics, not only
by the members of the Society but by outsiders as well. Upon invitation,
the Society sent to London a representative selection of Mohammedan
coins struck in Persia from the time of the first caliphate in the seventh
century A.D. to the present. These coins were to be part of a display
at the International Exhibition of Persian Art which was held by the
Royal Academy. Since the exhibition itself received a great deal of
publicity in the newspapers and special attention was given to the
contributors, the Society became even more widely recognized.7 This
growth of interest in the Oriental field was also reflected in the newer
publications of the Society. In 1934, its first book devoted to Islamic
16
242 THE MATURE YEARS
numismatics was published.8 A second such volume appeared in 1936
with succeeding works on Oriental topics in 1937, 1938, and I9399
A gap of ten years was to ensue before publications in this field were to
be resumed. This notable display of energy in a particular field of study
is directly connected with the fact that a Research Assistant in Mo-
hammedan Numismatics had been engaged. Dr. George C. Miles, who
had just received his doctoral degree in Oriental Languages, was the
first and only person to hold this position. During the two years,
1937-38, that he was working on the Islamic collection verifying past
work by Howland Wood and going somewhat further, there was em-
phasis on this phase of the museum's work. In 1938, he presented a
statement of his work in the form of a report which was inserted into
the Proceedings. In this short four page report the contents of the Islamic
cabinet were described.
Just as the period from 1915 to 1930 was marked by the number of
medallic issues, so the succeeding one was to be noted for the scholarly
enterprise and expanded series of publications in all fields. The advent
of the Numismatic Notes and Monographs series had greatly stimulated
the publishing endeavors of the Society by presenting it with the re-
sources and vehicle for this work. From its establishment in 1921 through
1930 a total of forty-five volumes in this series alone had appeared.
Naturally, there were other publications not included in this total. Dur-
ing the next fifteen years another sixty-two volumes were added to the
list. With this extensive series of publications it is especially worthy of
note that the quality of the individual volumes by no means declined.
Indeed, the very success enjoyed by some of the past books required
their reissue in more expanded and complete form. This was particu-
larly true of the Bibliography of Greek Coin Hoards. The series itself had been
begun by a short work by Sydney P. Noe on Greek Coin Hoards, and in 1925
the first edition of A Bibliography of Greek Coin Hoards by the same author
appeared. Historians and classicists as well as archaeologists and numis-
matists discovered this book to be an invaluable tool in their own re-
search. By 1937, the number of hoards recovered and known had been
substantially increased, and Noe had maintained his file on them. In
that year an expanded second edition listing all the new finds was
published and quickly replaced the older work. Since that time,
1931-1945 243
despite the ever growing list of hoards, a third edition has not appeared,
but the Society has attempted to maintain a current file on all Greek
coin hoards. It cannot be doubted that at some time in the not too
distant future it will again become necessary to bring this standard
reference work up to date.
Quite naturally the close connections which the Society maintained
with the various archaeological expeditions affected the character of
many of the volumes published after 1930. It is pointless to list those in
addition to the Dura publications already mentioned which appeared
under the seal of the organization, but a simple survey of the hoards
and finds mentioned in the titles of some of these works is sufficient to
indicate to even a casual surveyor the archaeological influence of the
work of the Society.
The depression which passed over the country and the world during
these years, however, did not pass unnoticed in this particular aspect
of numismatics. Even though the funds for publication in the Numis-
matic Notes and Monographs series were quite well protected by the trust
established for the continuance of this enterprise, the quantity of
published matter presented a problem. In February 1933, the Council
decided that expenditures for publications "should be kept as low as
possible and that the number issued annually should be reduced."
They even went to the extent of discussing the advisability of placing
advertising matter on the cover page. Fortunately, it was not found
necessary to resort to this practice in the quest for funds, but because
of shortages in the general operating resources a request was made to
Mr. Huntington for permission to draw upon the Notes and Mono-
graphs Fund for a sum not exceeding $2,500 should there be a deficit. In
this regard, it should be remembered that for some years prior to the
establishment of the Notes and Monographs Fund the Society had
customarily drawn approximately that amount for editorial expenses.
When the new building was erected, Mr. Huntington expressed the
desire that all the income from the Notes and Monographs Fund be
devoted to the actual costs of publication and not to editorial assistance.
This was promptly complied with by the Council, but even so the
surplus from the fund continued to grow because the manuscripts were
not received in sufficient numbers and the lack of help prevented more
16*
244 THE MATURE YEARS
frequent publications. The result was that the year 1932 witnessed an
accumulation of about $14,000 in the Numismatic and Monographs
Fund while the general business decline had cut the income of the
organization from other sources.10 It seems obvious that this request
was made to cover the editorial expenses if that should become ne-
cessary. Archer M. Huntington readily agreed to the new practice.
The income from the General Fund of the Society in 1932 was re-
ported as some $1200 less than it had been in 1931, and it dropped
steadily until by 1934 it was approximately $3,000 less than it had
been in 1931 with the result that $2,000 was transferred from the Numis-
matic and Monographs Fund to the General Fund. The very next
year, however, there was a slight rise in the income from the General
Fund and the crisis passed.11
The improvement of the financial condition of the Society after this
short interval is proof of its essentially healthy condition; it was now
possible to plan a new series of publications. For the printing of lengthy,
original studies, especially where extended illustration was necessary
or where large-flanned coins of considerable number were involved a
larger format was required than that used in the Numismatic Notes and
Monographs. By 1937, planning was completed for the new series which
was to utilize the format of the older American Journal of Numismatics.
The new series was not to be given to all members without charge.
Instead it was offered at half price for a six month period following the
publication of any volume. It was in this new series that Newell pub-
lished his two studies of Seleucid coinage and that his posthumous work
on the Alexander Coinage of Sicyon appeared. Before 1945, a total of five
volumes of Numismatic Studies had been issued.12 Most of the works in
this series attained rapid recognition as important studies.
Newell's death in early 1941 presented the publication staff and
the Council with a new problem. Much of the important research
carried on by Newell had already been committed to notes in ad-
dition to which there was the overwhelming mass of material in his
private collection which could be utilized for further study. By the
terms of Newell's bequest a fund was established with a capital of
$25,000 for the publication of numismatic works. It was the sense of the
Council that this money should be used primarily for the printing of
1931-1945 245
material from his own collection. In addition, Sydney P. Noe who had
worked so closely with Newell was asked to undertake the final steps
in the preparation of the last of Newell's works for the printer. For-
tunately, the largest part of the work had been completed by Newell
himself, and the final volume of numismatic studies from Newell's pen
was issued in 1950 through the labors of Noe.13
One last change in the structure of the staff connected with the pub-
lications of the Society took place in this period. Noe had assumed the
office of Editor at the Annual Meeting of January 12, 1923. In 1944,
the pressure of work from the number of positions held by Noe made
it imperative that he be relieved of this burden. Professor Bellinger
was well aware of this situation and offered to assume the Editorship
without salary. He was uniquely fitted for this task by reason of his
academic experience and the many publications which he had written.
He was naturally fully aware of the problems faced by the Society and the
authors of learned publications, so his offer was quickly seized and acted
upon by the Council. A resolution was passed at the same time express-
ing the deep appreciation of the services of Noe while he was Editor.
A complete series of personnel changes were carried out in other
fields of the Society's activities because of the sudden death of some of
the most important members of the Staff and Council. In 1932, the
first changes were introduced because of the retrenchments made
necessary by the effects of the depression. Again, Noe was called upon
to assume new responsibilities. In June of that year, he was appointed
to the position of Director. As such he was to be the manager of the
building with the exception of the coin room, vault, collections, and
exhibits. He was, however, to have full authority over all employees to
insure a maximum degree of efficiency. This position was not properly
accounted for in the Constitution of the Society, though it was some
years before this difficulty was discovered. In February of 1938, the
appointment was rescinded by the Council on grounds of its uncon-
stitutionally. At the same time, it was pointed out that Noe was still
holding the posts of Librarian and Editor as well as Secretary. The
result was that he was relieved of the post of Librarian and Sawyer
Me A. Mosser, who had served as his assistant, was appointed to fill
that position and at the same time to serve as Associate Editor.
246 THE MATURE YEARS
These latter changes had been occasioned by the death of Howland
Wood on January 4, 1938. In 1913 Wood had come to the Society as
its Curator, and in addition he had served as editor of the American
Journal of Numismatics from 1910 to 1920, and as associate editor of the
Numismatic Notes and Monographs after 1920. In that year he had been
the recipient of the Archer M. Huntington Award for his publications
in numismatics.14 The major portion of NewelPs Presidential Address
which was delivered some eleven days later was devoted to the career
of Howland Wood, whom he described as "one of those rare geniuses
who combined an inherited urge to collect, an insatiable curiosity as
to the "why" and the "wherefore," and an orderly mind which could
not brook obvious gaps or disorderly arrangement."15 The collection
at the time of Howland Wood's entrance upon the office of Curator had
contained about 50,000 items, but at his death the Society's cabinets
had grown to approximately 200,000 pieces and stood in the very front
rank of the great public collections of the world. Attributing and ar-
ranging this vast number of coins and medals must have been a Her-
culean task, but it was carried out with a minimum of assistance.
Carrying on the work so patiently begun by Wood required an equally
skilled individual, and the Council promptly fixed upon Sydney
P. Noe as the man. Ten days after Wood's death, Noe was appointed
as his successor. The readjustment of personnel described was a conse-
quence of this appointment.
Letters of sympathy for the Society occasioned by the sudden loss
of Wood were received from many widely scattered groups throughout
the world. The Antiquarian and Numismatic Society of Montreal,
the Hispanic Society of America, and the Royal Numismatic Society
in London all sent communications. The Council enacted a mem-
orial to Howland Wood which was ordered placed on the minutes
and a copy sent to his family as well as to The Numismatist for publi-
cation.
Just the year prior to the events described above, Robert Robertson
who had been serving as Assistant Curator to Wood suddenly died.
One month later William L. Clark was appointed to succeed Robertson.16
Clark's interest in numismatics had been almost purely from the stand-
point of the collector. By 1937, he had become a member of the Ameri-
1931-1945 247
can Numismatic Association, the American Numismatic Society and
some local coin clubs. With a very general background which covered
varied fields of numismatics, Clark could easily assist Wood in the work
relating to the modern coinages.
During the year of Wood's death still another addition was made to
the staff of the Society. In the spring of that year, Raymond E. Main
was brought to the Society and assigned to work in the library. His
assistance in clearing the accumulated cataloguing and in aiding in the
preparation for the Augustus Exhibition to celebrate the Bimillenium
of Augustus' reorganization of the Roman Empire immediately demon-
strated his value to the organization. Since he had not been engaged in
numismatic research before coming to the Society, he quite naturally
devoted himself to the administrative work in the library and elsewhere
in the museum. Except for the short period of the Second World War
when he was abroad in the Army, Main has continued with the So-
ciety ever since, rising to the position of Assistant Secretary in general
charge of the administrative functioning of the Society.
With the ever growing activity of the Society as an institution devo-
ted to research, recognition was granted to it in 1937 by election to the
select roster of participating groups in the American Council of
Learned Societies.17 From that time to the present, the Society has al-
ways been represented by a delegate on the Council. This was a form
of public recognition of the worth and value of the Society's endeavors
by a group of noted scholars who met for the purpose of furthering
learning both in the United States and abroad.
The scholarly endeavors of the Society were many faceted. Not only
was aid given to other groups and distinguished works published,
but also scholars in various fields, such as archaeology, were brought
to the Society to carry on research and utilize the collection in its
museum. Miss Dorothy Cox, who had been on excavations for almost
ten years, was brought to the Society in 1931 as a third member
of the coin room staff.18 After serving in the coin room for approxima-
tely a year Miss Cox joined the staff of an excavation in Cyprus. Thus
the Society provided her with an opportunity to continue her numis-
matic studies apart from the excavations.
The work of interesting younger people in numismatics was pressed
248 THE MATURE YEARS
with great energy. Emphasis was placed upon students, particularly
those in preparatory schools. The Council had formulated a plan in
1933 which envisioned an approach to various well-known schools for
a lecture on the subject to be delivered by the Secretary. By December
of 1934, some twenty schools had been approached, and whereas six
institutions definitely declined, Groton, Brooks School, Phillips Exeter,
and Phillips Andover accepted the offer. Three other schools, Kent,
Westminster, and Moses Brown indicated that they might make
arrangements for a later date. Taft and the Belmont Hill School
replied that it might be possible to extend such an invitation in the
following year. Five schools did not respond at all to the plan while
two others suggested that the cost involved outweighed the benefits.
This record was sufficiently encouraging and it was thought it would
be wise to extend the program to the high schools of New York City.
In this case, the benefits were likely to be somewhat greater in pro-
portion to the travel distance required for the speaker. At the same
time a campaign was considered which would involve an approach to
the teachers of Classics whereby it might be determined exactly how
many of them might be interested in attending a monthly meeting at
the museum at which some branch of the subject would be presented
to them and the facilities of the museum as well as the possibilities
offered by the coins themselves would be emphasized and demonstra-
ted. These plans, however, were not carried through.
Apparently, the results of the first few lectures were sufficiently en-
couraging to warrant the expansion of the program. Several very pro-
mising contacts were made at the preparatory schools, and one new
member was enrolled. The co-operation of the high school teachers of
the City was enlisted to further an interest in numismatics.19 One
member of the Society became so enthusiastic about the plans that she
anonymously donated a handsome frame of electrotypes of fine ancient
coins to be used in connection with the lecture series.
During the spring of 1935, the lectures were continued at the various
schools. The results indicated that the Society could not expect to
interest the younger people until it was prepared to do more in the
way of helping them make a start in numismatics. The two monthly
numismatic magazines in this country co-operated fully in the program
1931-1945 249
to stimulate the public to a realization of the pleasures and value of
numismatic study. It was, however, a long road that had been marked
out which involved showing amateur collectors that there were greater
benefits than seemed apparent at first glance. In this year the lecture
series was extended still further to include Wheaton College, as well
as Phillips Andover, Exeter, and St. Marks.20 The following year, how-
ever, this program of lectures was not repeated.
The most important phase of the educational activities of the Society
revolved around the use of the facilities of the museum for the training
and research work of graduate students. In 1938, a group of students
under the supervision of Prof. Karl Lehmann of New York University
began a comprehensive study of the representations of classical archi-
tecture which appeared on Greek and Roman coins. This was a tre-
mendous undertaking for which the need was clearly established.
Archaeologists in the field and in museums and universities were con-
tinually utilizing such representations for the reconstructions which
they were called upon to make. The only volume which made a pre-
tense of covering the field, Thomas L. Donaldson's Architectura Numis-
matica, was out of date because it had been published in 1859 when
modern numismatic research was just beginning. With only this work
at their disposal, archaeologists had to devote long hours to tracing the
architectural representations through the various numismatic cata-
logues. Lehmann set out to remedy this by a joint undertaking with
his students. Naturally, the Society was the most logical place in this
country for this work to be done, and the facilities of the library were
therefore placed at the disposal of the research group. The work was
divided into sections with various students accepting responsibility for
these parts. Unfortunately, the entire program was never fulfilled, but
certain sections devoted to specific problems were completed, and
some were published by the Society. One of the most valuable was
devoted to the temples of Rome while another dealt specifically with
the temple of Artemis at Ephesos.21 These were scholarly treatments
of individual aspects of the broader problem and their greatest impor-
tance lay in the application of numismatic research to other disciplines.
In these two volumes, numismatic evidence was not treated as an end
in itself, but rather was utilized to gain a fuller view of ancient archi-
250 THE MATURE YEARS
tecture.22 The co-operation between the New York University Institute
of Fine Arts and the American Numismatic Society in this enterprise
might serve as a guide post for what could be accomplished if such
joint undertakings were to become more common. The failure to com-
plete the final work simply serves to point out the vast resources which
are required for such a task.
What has been said up to this point shows quite clearly the different
character of the Society during this period as compared with the
years between 1915 and 1930. It must not, however, be assumed that
the organization necessarily turned its back upon its past activities.
Even though this was not a time of great medallic activity, the Society
was called upon to issue the last of its medals, save for the piece com-
memorating its centennial. A tradition had been established that the
City of New York could utilize the facilities of the Society when it
undertook to give medallic commemoration to historical events. The
year 1932 marked the bicentennial of the birth of the first President
of the United States. The War Department gave recognition to this
event by re-creating The Order of the Purple Heart which had originally
been established by Washington as an award for military merit. This
was duly reported to the Society by the Committee on War Medals and
Decorations.23 Naturally enough this event was commemorated in a
variety of ways, and the City of New York established a commission
for its celebration. At its request a collection of coins and medals was
loaned for exhibition at a replica of Federal Hall erected in Bryant
Park. Seven years later the sesquicentennial of the first inauguration
took place. These two events occurred so closely in time that it is most
probable that the Society decided to recognize the second because of
the numerous memorials of the earlier one. As a result, a medal was
struck in honor of this first inauguration. The design was entrusted to
Albert Stewart, one of the better known younger American sculptors
who had already produced several pieces of great merit.On the obverse
the bust of Washington was shown in the uniform of the Commander-
in-Chief of the Continental Army, with his face in profile. The dates
1789 and 1939 were separated at the bottom by the three leaves and in-
itials of the Society's emblem. Around the portrait was the inscription
ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY. On the reverse thirteen
1931-1945 251
stars surrounded the inscription TO / COMMEMORATE / THE INAUGUR-
ATION OF GEORGE / WASHINGTON / FIRST PRESIDENT / OF THE
UNITED STATES / APRIL 30th / 1789.24
Just a year earlier, the Society had commemorated another historical
event, but in a quite different fashion. The year 1938 witnessed the
bimillennium of the birth of Augustus, the first Roman Emperor. Pre-
sident Newell noted the numismatic as well as the historical signifi-
cance of this event in describing the plans for an exhibition devoted to
Augustus:
Of very considerable interest to the members, and I trust profit to the Society,
is the contemplated opening of an exhibition in the Spring commemorating the two
thousandth anniversary of the birth of the greatest of all the Roman Emperors,
Caesar Augustus. It is peculiarly appropriate that the Numismatic Society should
hold such an exhibition and celebration. For by his reasoned policies Augustus very
largely changes the aspect of ancient coinage, and some of the effects may still be
seen today. Augustus boasted that he had found Rome of brick, and left a marble
city. Similarly, he had found the Roman coinage, a somewhat haphazard arrange-
ment in the hands of a committee of four political appointees, ever being supplement-
ed by numerous issues of special appointees or of various generals in the fieldwith
all the disorganization and chances of abuse that such an arrangement connoted. In
addition, many Greek communities still enjoyed the rights (and, possibly, privileged
graft) of local coinage in silver. Octavian largely changed this. He saw to it that the
coinage of gold and silver was firmly vested in the head of the state, he eliminated
many of the local mints, placed such as still were allowed to continue under imperial
jurisdiction, increased the artistic aspect of the coinage as a whole, and gave the
Roman Empire a uniform and well-ordered currency. For the comprehensive numis-
matic display which we are planning, we have, of course, the Society's collections to
draw upon. But this will hardly be enough, and we seriously urge our members and
friends to "rally around" and help your officers and staff to make this exhibition and
celebration not only equal to the importance of the occasion, but the finest and most
successful numismatic event that has ever been attempted this side of the Atlantic.25
The exhibition opened on April 28th with a private viewing and an
attendance of 163 persons. Publicity had been obtained in the New
York Times and in the Sun with some highly favorable and complimen-
tary comments. On May 2oth, Prof. Lily Ross Taylor of Bryn Mawr
delivered a lecture on "Caesar Augustus, Prince and Emperor" to
which the local chapter of the Archaeological Institute of America was
invited.26
252 THE MATURE YEARS
Of course, there were moments in the history of the Society which in
retrospect do not seem to have been particularly important but which
required attention at the time. One such occurred, when it was dis-
covered that on November 19, 1932, an attempt had been made to
force the lock of one of the horizontal wall cases near the former en-
trance to the old building. This attempt at burglary warranted dis-
cussion by the Council. It is true that the Council had always been
conscious of the need for security and that from the very moment when
the first few coins were donated to the Society precautions were taken
to insure that they would be safe. This particular burglary attempt,
however, brought this problem very quickly to the fore. Attention was
called to the insecurity of these cases and the burglar alarm system was
found to be faulty because of the absence of an indicator to show
which of the several alarm buttons had been affected. Nothing, how-
ever, appears to have been done until March 1933 when the Curator
reported that an attempt had been made to rifle the exhibition case
containing the Bechtler coins. After an extended discussion at the
Council meeting it was decided to close the museum to visitors until
remedial action could be taken. At the December meeting of the
Council, Newell appointed a committee consisting of Robert J. Eidlitz
and himself to consider the recommendations which had been made
by the staff during the preceding months to increase the security of the
collection. A long report was produced by Eidlitz at the following
meeting, and the present security system stems largely from the findings
of that committee. Eidlitz was an ideal figure to aid in the work be-
cause he had constructed the building and he was able to utilize the
people in his firm who specialized in safety devices. An additional
item of expense was necessitated by this situation, but it cannot be
said that the system was foolproof as yet. On November 10, 1939, the
Secretary reported the theft of three gold medals and three decorations
from the swinging cases in the smaller exhibition room at the Society.
These objects had been purloined on or about October 19th. Once
again the Council met and discussed the situation with a view towards
finding a permanent remedy. Steps were taken to tighten the security
precautions still further, and this time with success.
1931-1945 253
Still another interesting sidelight occurred in connection with the
name of the Society. Originally it had been called The American
Numismatic Society. After its reorganization following the Civil War
it was known as The American Numismatic and Archaeological So-
ciety. In 1907, the name was changed again to its original form. In the
interval, however, the American Numismatic Association had been
organized in 1891, and incorporated in 1912. In addition it must be
remembered that the Society had become the possessor of a museum
and building for its functions, so that the situation had changed con-
siderably since the reversion to the original name. In 1921, President
Newell suggested at the annual meeting that the members take cogni-
zance of these facts:
To my mind, the Society might consider the advisability of taking steps officially
to name this building (with its contents) the American Numismatic Museum (or
some similar title). It will naturally always remain the property of the American
Numismatic Society. My point is that outsidersand in many cases even our own
membersdo not really appreciate what our Society is or what it stands for, and so
may often hesitate to present their collections to us, misguided by the name, "So-
ciety." The word Museum has something definite and permanent about it, whereas the
word Society apparently lacks just this all-important atmosphere.27
Newell concluded by pointing out that this was merely a suggestion,
but he felt that it was worthy of consideration. No action was taken at
the time, and the matter was left in abeyance for years. In 1937, the
Secretary recalled this to the Council and added that the suggestion
did not involve changing the name of the Society, although it did point
in that direction and much might be urged in favor of that being done.
The elimination of confusion between the Society and the American
Numismatic Association would certainly have been a benefit, but it is
doubtful just how effective the change to American Numismatic Mu-
seum would have been in accomplishing this. A second inducement
was naturally the ease of obtaining members and support for a museum
from non-numismatists. Lastly, the Secretary pointed out that without
such a change it would become increasingly difficult to obtain a
quorum for official meetings and to find fellows who might be available
and acceptable for vacancies on the Council. His reasoning in this last
argument in favor of the change is somewhat elusive, and it has cer-
254 E MATURE YEARS
tainly proved wrong. Nevertheless, he brought the proposal before the
Council, and we may surmise that it had previously been discussed
with President Newell and several Council members. At the suggestion
of Samuel R. Milbank a committee was appointed to investigate the
questions raised by this proposal, and, as is so often the case in such
instances, nothing further was heard of the project.
The year 1939 provides a suitable point for a review of the events to
that point. In the Presidential Address of that year Newell seized the
opportunity to do just that. Wood had died the previous year and Noe,
the Secretary, Editor, and Librarian had been appointed to succeed
him. This necessitated a complete revision of staff appointments which
has already been covered. The following year was Noe's twenty-fifth
anniversary as a member of the staff. A resolution of the Council was
enacted to commemorate the event:
Resolved that the Council considers the Society fortunate in having had the
conscientious and intelligent services of Mr. Sydney P. Noe as our Secretary during
the past twenty-five years and wishes to express its appreciation of his long, faithful
and most satisfactory work with and for The American Numismatic Society.
A copy of this resolution was spread upon the Minutes.
Serious work had been started in the training of new numismatists.
Dr. George C. Miles, the first and only incumbent of the Huntington
Scholarship Fund, had come to the museum to work on the Mohamme-
dan coins. Students of the New York University Institute of Fine Arts had
begun work on their extensive project involving the representations of
ancient buildings on coins. Close relationships had been established
with the various universities and scholars engaged in archae-
ological research. In addition, a plan had been drawn up for
making a photographic record of the entire coin collection in the
Society's cabinet. This was later carried out and resulted in a com-
pleted photographic record. Exhibitions had been held from time to
time, but never with the same fervor as the ones which immediately
followed the opening of the building, and attempts were made to sti-
mulate a drive for memberships by special displays for the Metropolitan
Coin Clubs. These yielded very gratifying results and were revived
1931-1945 255
during the years 1943-1945, but interest in them was never as great as
it had been at the start.
The exhibitions, the publications, and the scholarly endeavors of the
Society must all give way before the growth of the collection during the
years 1930 to 1945. A simple listing of the quantity of coins and medals
acquired by the Society in any one specific year would not do justice
to the changes. The Newell bequest alone was sufficient to change the
character of the Society's cabinets. It would be much more appropriate
to concentrate on some of the more interesting acquisitions and perhaps
a few of the more amusing ones. In 1931, the Curator announced to
the Council the acquisition of the Robert Louis Stevenson plaque. The
Treasurer, who was present at that meeting, reported a story of an in-
cident in connection with the modelling of the portrait. It was Saint-
Gaudens himself who told the tale to Gillingham, and Gillingham's
recital of it and the letter were transcribed into the minutes. Gillingham
told the story in his own words:
When in Paris during the summer of 1899, I chanced to meet that great Ameri-
can sculptor, Augustus Saint-Gaudens, and frequently played golf with him at
Maison Lafitte, near Paris. Our luncheons on such occasions were usually taken in
the rear part of a small French grocery store and wine shop, near the golf grounds;
over which was our dressing room. One day, while we ate our bread and cheese and
drank the vin ordinaire (from the bottleof course. For glasses were not served in
that primitive shop) we naturally turned to story-telling. Saint-Gaudens was giving
some of his experiences, and happened to mention that with Robert Louis Stevenson
in 1888, when he went to Manasquan, New Jersey, to finish the medallion he had
been working on for some time, he had taken with him his son Homer, then about
eight years old, and on the way down from New York had explained to Homer that
he was to meet a man whom he should always remember, as he was a great writer
whom the world would later recognize as superior to many. Upon arriving at the
Union House at Manasquan, where Stevenson was then staying, the boy was intro-
duced, and naturally was not much interested in the conversation carried on by the
two older men, nor impressed with the sick man, then in bed; and soon the boy went
out of doors to play.
In trying to get Stevenson to properly pose, in a natural attitude, Saint-Gaudens
suggested that he write something, and try to forget the presence of the sculptor.
Stevenson finally took paper and pen; and drawing up his knees, started to write,
while the artist created the design of the medal in question. When Saint-Gaudens had
finished, Stevenson was still busy writing; and folding the paper he put it into an
envelope which he adressed to "Master Homer Saint-Gaudens" and handed it to
256 THE MATURE YEARS
the father, telling him to give it to his son in five, ten or fifteen years, or "when I am
dead." Here is the letter, as published in Stevenson's Letters to his Family and Friends,*
and practically as described to us golfers that day in 1899 at Mai son Lafitte, by
Saint-Gaudens.
(*Letters of Robert Louis Stevenson, Vol. 2, p. 125. New York, 1899).
Manasquan, New Jersey,
27th May 1888
Dear Homer Saint-Gaudens,
Your father has brought you this day to see me, and he tells me it is his hope that
you may remember the occasion. I am going to do what I can to carry out his wish;
and it may amuse you, years after, to see this little scrap of paper and to read what
I write. I must begin by testifying that you yourself took no interest whatever in the
introductions, and in the most proper spirit displayed a single-minded ambition to
get back to play, and this I thought an excellent and admirable point in your char-
acter. You were also (I use the past tense, with a view to the time when you shall
read, rather than to that when I am writing) a very pretty boy, and to my European
views, startlingly self-possessed.
My time of observation was so limited that you must pardon me if I can say no
more; what else I marked, what restlessness of foot and hand, what graceful clumsi-
ness, what experimental designs upon the furniture, was but the common inheritance
of human youth. But you may perhaps like to know that the lean flushed man in
bed, who interested you so little, was in a state of mind extremely mingled and un-
pleasant: harassed with work which he thought he was not doing well, troubled with
difficulties to which you will in time succeed, and yet looking forward to no less a
matter than a voyage to the South Seas and the visitation of savage and desert
islands.
Your father's friend,
Robert Louis Stevenson
Thus, there was a story to accompany the new acquisition, and the
connection with the Society was clearly established through the person
of Augustus Saint-Gaudens. The original design of the medal, as de-
picted on the specimen acquired by the Society in 1931, was later
altered and enlarged for the panel made by Saint-Gaudens for St.
Giles Church in Edinburgh, where Stevenson is shown with a pen in
hand and paper on his knee. A single medal of this type is not in itself
of any great importance, but the fact that Saint-Gaudens had been so
closely connected with the Society and was so well known as the fore-
most American sculptor gave the piece added significance when it was
related to the incident.
1931-1945 257
During the same year in which the Stevenson plaque was acquired
the death of Bauman L. Belden occurred. He had been a member of
the Society since 1886 and a life member since 1910. As Secretary from
1905 to 1915 and as Director from 1909 to 1915 as well as a member of
the Council from 1906 to 1928 and an Honorary Councillor from 1928
to 1931 he had truly devoted himself to the interests of the organi-
zation. His contributions to the science of numismatics and services to
the institution were duly recalled by a resolution of the Council which
was spread upon the Minutes when news of his death was made public.
At the sale of his effects, the Council decided to make a small appro-
priation to be used for the acquisition of such items as the remaining
copies of his publications on United States War Medals and certain other
pieces which the library might need. It also made available funds for
the repurchase at auction of various publications issued by the Society
which were in Belden's library.
Two years later the Society was fortunate enough to secure a large
part of the famous Gampola hoard of 494 larins and 53 other coins. In
the very next year, this hoard was the subject of a monograph produced
by Howland Wood.28 Dr. Casey Wood, who made this donation, re-
quested that part of the hoard be retained for the cabinet of the Society
and that the remainder be used either as gifts or in trading with other
museums or for sale so that the proceeds might be used to increase the
holdings. The hoard itself had been found at Gampola in Ceylon where
it was acquired by Dr. Wood. A selection of 160 coins was retained.29
In the same year, 1933, a gift of 488 medals was bequeathed from
the collection of Dr. George F. Kunz. Kunz had been one of the most
active of the Society's members and officers. The role which he had
played in the production of many of the early medals of the Society has
been fully described. As a result of his connection with Tiffany and
Company he was enabled to acquire many very rare pieces which were
issued through that firm. His bequest consisted chiefly of United States
and European medals including some Russian pieces. Of great interest
in this gift was a gold piece commemorating the victory at New Orleans
by Andrew Jackson.30 This medal was struck by Congress.
The accessions for the year 1933 were particularly important, both
in medals and in oriental coinage. The Medallic Art Company and
17
258 THE MATURE YEARS
President Newell continued their longstanding practice of donating to
the museum. Perhaps the most interesting of the medallic pieces
acquired during the year was a satirical piece issued to commemorate an
event of some public attention. On August 28th of that year Senator
Huey Long of Louisiana had gone to the washroom at the Sands Point
Bath Club, and there he had been hit in the eye by an unknown assail-
ant who apparently disapproved of the Senator. This event was duly
reported in the press with some fanfare, and Owen P. White, the
novelist and Associate Editor of Collier's magazine, had made the
public suggestion in jest that the assailant should be awarded a gold
medal. The populace immediately responded with a series of contri-
butions to defray the expense, and in a very short time the sum of
$ 1,000 had been raised to accomplish this purpose. White was now
troubled because even after the medal had been designed and struck he
thought that the only way he could dispose of it would be to present it
to the trophy room of the Sands Point Bath Club because "no dignified
museum would be frivolous enough to accept it." Newell, upon re-
ceipt of this report, promptly wrote to White explaining that The
American Numismatic Society was "one of the most dignified museums
in this country," and that he considered the washroom medal a public
expression of the American people. He therefore requested that the
museum should be its repository. On September 2oth, a ceremony was
held at the museum to make the gift. A vacant chair was present
throughout the event so that the assailant might claim his reward, but
no one came forward. In making the presentation, White said, "This
is an historic occasion. It is unique. Perhaps not in the annals of any
country, certainly not in the annals of this one, has there ever been a
moment like it."
Newell replied, "My interest in the medal is purely numismatic.
When I learned from the newspaper accounts that this unknown hero
had not been positively identified, or at any rate was too modest to
come forward and admit his identity publicly, I thought perhaps the
Society and its museum might become the repository for the medal.
Accordingly, I wrote to Mr. White, whom I had never met, and the
result is the ceremony today. I appreciate the honor of accepting this
medal commemorating the act of this noble but unknown hero. I feel
1931-1945 259
sure it will find its place in history along with the medals presented at
Marathon. Some day it may hang side by side with the medal pre-
sented by the Emperor Honorius to the general who defeated Alaric,
the Goth, the inscription on which reads: 'Triumphator barbarorum,'
which means 'the conqueror of the barbarians.'"
The statement issued by Newell in his Presidential Address of 1934
explains more completely his motives in entering into what was essen-
tially a political controversy. In that speech he said, "The part we
played in what may be termed the affair of the Huey Long Medal had
for its purpose the ideal of better government and the discouragement
of unworthy individuals in high office. By this we have secured for our
collection a unique gold satirical medal of historic, artistic and civic
value; considerable publicity at no cost to ourselves; a good laugh in
these far too serious times; as well as numerous complimentary re-
marks anent our bold stand for civic virtue." Perhaps this was spreading
the numismatic veneer rather thinly and transparently over an incident
fraught with political overtones. Certainly the design of the piece by
George DeZayas was quite clever, but it could not be pointed to as a
work of artistic excellence and was not intended to be such. It was a
gold medal suspended by two chains from a bar pin, and the length
including the chains and pin was about four inches. The shape of the
entire medal was suggested by the fact that the incident took place in
the washroom, and on the obverse there was depicted a Kingfish, the
face of which was being struck by a fist issuing near a washbowl with
two faucets of running water. A crown was to be seen falling from the
head of the fish, and to the right of the design was the date MCM-
xxxill. Upon the lower border was the inscription PUBLICO CONCILIO
PRO RE IN CAMERA GESTA which may be translated as "By Public
Acclaim for a Deed Done in Private." The reverse of the original had
the inscription PRESENTED TO THE AMERICAN NUMISMATIC SOCIETY
SEPTEMBER 20, 1933. It was displayed in a case with a card reading,
"Medal to the Unknown Hero Who Hit Huey Long. Deposited in the
Museum of the American Numismatic Society by the American
People."
Naturally it attracted a great number of visitors, and Wood reported
five days after the presentation that over 100 people came on each day
17*
260 THE MATURE YEARS
to view it. It was even found wise to issue copies of the piece without the
pin and chains with a different reverse inscription: BY / PUBLIC AC-
CLAIM / FOR A DEED / DONE IN PRIVATE / SANDS POINT / AUGUST 26 / 1933.31
The Medallic Art Company sold these replicas in some quantity and
thus proved the popularity of the piece.
In addition, the year 1933 witnessed the purchase of two most inter-
esting silver bars of the Han Dynasty of the first century A.D. These
were of extreme rarity and were accompanied by a small inscribed
gold bar or nugget, which if it could be established as a coin, might
antedate by centuries any coin previously known. This gold bar was
confided to several Chinese scholars to determine whether it was to be
attributed to the later part of the Yin Dynasty in the middle of the
twelfth century B.C. or the first part of the Chow Dynasty which suc-
ceeded it. No definite conclusion has yet been reached.
Even the depression years of the thirties do not seem to have seriously
affected the quantity and value of the Society's acquisitions. In 1933,
the H.A. Schnakenberg Collection was dispersed by the death of the
owner. Fifty-six pieces from that collection were donated to the So-
ciety by the heir in memory of his father. This gift included many im-
portant specimens particularly in the gold series of European coins.32
In November of the same year, the F. Munroe Endicott Collection was
presented by Mrs. George Endicott, the sister-in-law of the collector,
and DeWitt Endicott, his nephew. F. Munroe Endicott had been an
enthusiastic collector in his youth. He was a secretary in the American
Legation in Cairo when his imagination was aroused by the largest
find of silver coins of Alexander the Great ever unearthed, the Deman-
hur Hoard. With his friend Sir Ronald Storrs, of the British Mission,
who was later Governor of Jerusalem and Cyprus, Endicott spent his
spare time searching for Alexander's coinage. The finest and rarest of
the coins from the great hoard were divided between these two. Among
the pieces secured by Endicott was one on which the name of Nikokles,
the King of Paphos, was inscribed in the lion's scalp. This piece was
published with his permission by Newell in the Numismatic Chronicle
in 1919. The Demanhur Hoard provided Newell with the material for
a reattribution of the coinage of Alexander the Great.33 When the
material from the hoard had been exhausted, Endicott continued to
1931-1945 261
collect coins of the Ptolemies and later Roman issues of Alexandria.
Later, he began to acquire the Greek issues of Italy and Sicily as well
as fine portrait types of the Roman series. Finally, he came into posses-
sion of the Catacombs Hoard of Roman imperial denarii. When his
collection was given to the Society it contained about 500 denarii,
nearly all of which were in mint condition and formed the basis for a
description of the collection.34
In 1934, theO.P. Eklund Collection was dispersed through sale. Ek-
lund had devoted himself to the study of minor coinages and his listings,
country by country, had appeared over a number of years in The
Numismatist. From time to time, the Society had been the recipient of
gifts of sections of his collection which had already served the collec-
tor's purpose. Still other portions of the collection were acquired by pur-
chase, and in 1949 one group of pieces from this collection formed an
important part of a monograph devoted to the Hacienda Tokens of
Mexico.35 In addition, the beautifully organized books of pencilled
rubbings prepared by Eklund were donated to the library.
Two great losses suffered by the Society in 1936 must be mentioned.
The death of Richard Hoe Lawrence broke one of the last links with
the early history of the Society. He had become a member in 1878 and
had served as Curator in 1879 as well as Librarian from 1880 to 1885.
He was one of the most active members, and it was as a result of his
labors that the first published catalogue of the library was printed
as well as a volume devoted to the Paduan imitations of Roman im-
perial sestertii. In his later years, he had lived in retirement, but he had
never severed his connection with the Society and was one of the oldest
members when he died. After his death, Mrs. Lawrence presented his
collection of 591 Roman coins, chiefly denarii, and a few lesser pieces
including some electrotypes. After the complete settlement of the
estate, a total of 720 very fine coins, 415 of which were of the Roman
Republican series and 155 of the Imperial type, chiefly of silver and
bronze, were donated by Mrs. Jessie C. Lawrence. They had been col-
lected with great care by her husband. The Richard Hoe Lawrence
Library had already been acquired in 1899 through the generosity of
Daniel Parish, Jr.
The other great loss sustained in that year was the death of Arthur C.
262 THE MATURE YEARS
Wyman. He had filled the office of Assistant Curator during the years
1918 to 1921. Later when he moved to California, Wyman continued
to take an active interest in all aspects of numismatics and continually
went out of his way to further the interests of the Society even though he
was far from its home. At his request, the Society was allowed to cull his
collection for the pieces that it lacked. He had already donated a group
of coins made of nickel, 660 in number, to the Society in 1932 which
was in addition to other gifts given both before and after that date. From
his collection another eighty-five pieces were selected after his death.36
These blows, however, had been preceded by an even more severe
one at the very beginning of the period covered in this chapter. On
January 30, 1931, John Reilly, Jr., died in a New York hospital after
undergoing a serious operation. He was then only fifty-five years old.
He had been educated at Princeton University, where he had done an
additional four years of post-graduate work in electrical engineering.
Apparently his interest in numismatics was stimulated when very
young and his specialization in oriental numismatics owed its origin
to meeting, in a visit to Japan in 1909, Henry A.Ramsden, a distinguish-
ed scholar in that field. It was during that visit that Reilly acquired the
Dr. Neil Gordon Munro Collection, a portion of which had appeared
in Dr. Munro's The Coins of Japan, published in 1904. Reilly continued
to add to his collection all types of objects with numismatic represen-
tations, and upon the death of Ramsden he succeeded in acquiring the
extensive collection of that savant. This vast body of numismatic ma-
terial arrived in New York in 1917 and was the subject of an address to
the Society on March 7, 1918.37 Reilly's collection was housed in the
Society's building and special arrangements were made when the
museum was enlarged to permit him personally to care for it.88
Naturally, there was great interest in the numismatic world in the
fate of the magnificent Reilly Collection after the death of its owner.39
In 1938, Miss Frances Reilly, his daughter, made a gift of the entire
collection and cabinets to the Society and thus placed the institution
in the forefront of those possessing oriental coins. The Council promptly
declared Miss Reilly a Benefactor.40
The collection itself contained more than 27,000 items predomi-
nantly of Chinese origin. It included a select library to which subsequent
1931-1945 263
additions were made as the opportunity efforded and which has
formed the basis for two monographs published by the Society.41
Mr. Reilly's successor on the Council was General DeWitt Clinton
Falls, who filled out the unexpired term. General Falls was subse-
quently re-elected to the Council until his death in 1937. He also left
a substantial bequest to the Society.
In the same year, 1938, in which the Reilly Collection and the be-
quest from General Falls were received, a gift from George H. Clapp
made it possible to acquire the E. P. Robinson Collection. In addition,
Clapp donated part of his own collection of large U.S. Cents which
was in time to give the Society a fair claim to having the finest col-
lection of these pieces to be found anywhere. To this donation there
were made various additions until 1946 when the entire mass of
material was in the possession of the Society. With the original gift, a
fund of $5,000 was presented so that still further acquisitions might be
made as they appeared on the market.42
Of particular significance was a bequest received in October 1937
and displayed at the November meeting of the following year. Herbert
Scoville had made it a custom to give generously to the Society every
Christmas as well as at various other times. On his death, his collection
of Renaissance and later coins of the Italian Peninsula, consisting of
n gold pieces, 2,265 silver, and 628 coppers or bronzes as well as
131 miscellaneous specimens, was donated to the Society. This was a
well-rounded representation of the issues of the Italian city-states, in-
cluding a great many pieces of unusual distinction. The coinages of
Milan, Florence, and Savoy were especially well represented. Since
this was an area of numismatic interest which had not been particu-
larly cultivated, it was of more than usual significance.43
The need for funds, however, was always as great as the need for ad-
ditions to the collections. It would have been impossible to carry out
the work of the Society if there had not been public spirited citizens
willing to aid in material fashion. One such was Mrs. Emma Brunner,
who left a sum of money to the Society which equalled that of General
Falls at approximately the same time. Naturally, both were elected
Benefactors and their names were inscribed on the tablets which are
placed in the entrance to the museum.
264 THE MATURE YEARS
The death of Robert J. Eidlitz in 1933 was one of the many which
deeply affected the Society. Eidlitz' firm, it will be remembered, had
actually built the second edifice which served as part of the Society's
home, and he had been most constant in his support of the various
activities of the institution. Since 1916 he had been a Fellow of the
Society and a member of the Council. In 1927, he was the recipient of
the Huntington Medal, and his passing was the occasion for a tribute
by President Newell.44 During his life, Eidlitz had assembled a col-
lection of some 5,000 medals related chiefly to architecture, and he
had acquired a library to make it possible for him to study these pieces.
Under the terms of his will this magnificent collection and library were
to be retained by Mrs. Eidlitz for as long a period as she chose, and
afterwards they were to be given to the Society. In April 1940, Mrs.
Eidlitz was named a Benefactor of the institution five years after her
husband had been so named in 1935. Since Robert J. Eidlitz had al-
ready published a book relating to these medals, Medals and Medallions
Relating to Architects, the form of the book was chosen for the display
which was eminently successful and received mention in the local press
as well as in some of the architectural periodicals.45
In 1940, two other choice collections were received by the Society.
The George W. Husker Greek Collection, consisting of 221 pieces of
silver and bronze, was presented. Despite its seemingly small size it
was extremely valuable because it added materially to the represen-
tation of the cities of Asia Minor. In addition, so many of the pieces
were in fine condition that it was a truly important asset. The Roman
portion of this collection was sold at auction in 1951, and the Society
was successful in purchasing eighty-six pieces.46 At the same time the
magnificent John F. Jones Collection was offered to the Society. This
contained fine coins in superlative condition which had been culled
from sales of other connoisseurs such as Howorth, Betts, and Bastow,
with a Brazilian group built up from the Meili cabinet. Mrs. Edward
T. Newell contributed the cost for the Barbary States coins, and Mrs.
George P. Cammann for the pieces of the Knights of Malta. Well over
5,000 specimens were acquired, and they represented the fruits of nearly
fifty years of intensive work in collecting.47
Mrs. Cammann was also instrumental in improving the holdings of
1931-1945 265
the Society in Greek coinage, particularly in issues of Corinth and her
colonies as well as in imitations of the Corinthian type. Many of these
pieces had been illustrated in her monograph on the symbols to be found
on Corinthian staters.48 These were given to the Society over a period of
years in addition to an extensive selection of badges, given to donors to
the many relief agencies, which she had assembled during World War I.
The largest of all gifts of coins and medals ever received by the So-
ciety, however, was that of Edward T. Newell. Throughout the history
of the Society to this point there has been continuous mention of the
many donations presented by Newell to forward the study of numis-
matics. Newell was in no sense a dilletante, and his works in numis-
matics bore the stamp of scholarly research. It is an extensive bibliog-
raphy which Newell contributed to the science of numismatics, and
by far the largest part of it was devoted to Hellenic and Hellenistic
coinages.49 He was at the same time one of those rare individuals who
could combine the talents for practical administration with scholarly
research and a continuous output of original ideas. It was Newell who
had urged most ardently the enlargement of the museum building and
who took an active part in the careful planning which preceded the
completion of that enterprise in 1931. During his term as President,
and largely as a result of his own endeavors, success crowned the
efforts of the organization to be recognized as an aid to which exca-
vators could turn. Relations with other learned bodies were improved
and in many cases established for the first time under his leadership.
He was also most generous in his gifts to further the aims of the Society.
In 1916, he presented not only his own Mohammedan collection,
numbering 5,000 pieces, but he purchased and added the collection
formed by Howland Wood. The following year, he supplemented this
by the gift of his Arabic glass weights. In the course of succeeding years,
Newell was instrumental in whole or in part in the acquisition of the
Starosselsky, Hoernle, Valentine, and other collections. Finally in De-
cember, just two months before his death, he presented a major section
of his Sassanian coins which numbered some 1200. It was also as a
result of his efforts that arrangements were made with the Metropoli-
tan Museum of Art for the permanent loan of Durkee, Mills, and other
collections.
266 THE MATURE YEARS
Newell's early life and his connection with the Society have already
been treated at some length. His death on February 18, 1941, seemed
to mark the end of a definite period, and the Council expressed its
shock in a resolution which was transmitted to Newell's family and was
later published in the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of 1942. At the
same time the entire numismatic world was taken aback at the loss of
one of its most illustrious sons. Obituaries in honor of Newell appeared
in most of the numismatic periodicals.50
When the Council met the following month it was faced with the
task of finding the right members to fill Newell's various offices. Samuel
R. Milbank was unanimously elected to succeed to the post on the
Board of Governors, but action with respect to filling the vacancy on
the Council was delayed for a month. The members of the Board of
Governors now met to find a successor to Newell as President. Only
three Governors were present at that meeting on March I3th, imme-
diately following the Council meeting, but the discussion was a lively
one which traced all the difficulties now facing the Society. Stephen
H. P. Pell was nominated to carry on in the Presidential position for
the unexpired portion of Newell's tenure. At the same time Douglas
P. Dickie was appointed to succeed Newell on the Finance Committee.
Quite naturally, Newell's sudden death had brought to the fore the
knowledge that the Society had functioned throughout the period of his
Presidency without a Vice-President. This was obviously the source of
some of the difficulties then faced. It was decided to prepare an amend-
ment whereby one or more Vice-Presidents would be duly constituted to
serve in the event of a similar misfortune at a later date. This was
carried even further, when, in the course of the discussions by the
Council, it was moved that the officers of the Society be empowered to
select such assistants as they deemed proper. It was expected that the
assistants would be kept fully informed of all matters pertaining to the
complete functioning of their offices. An amendment establishing the
election of not more than three Vice-Presidents was passed at the
Annual Meeting of January 10, 1942.
Two days after the Annual Meeting, the Council met to elect a new
President to lead the group. On the suggestion of Stephen H. P. Pell,
who had only consented to assume the duties and responsibilities
1931-1945 267
during the emergency of the intervening period, Dr. Herbert E. Ives
was elected. This was an extremely wise choice because Dr. Ives was
himself a scholar, though in the physical sciences rather than primarily
in the humanistic disciplines. He was at that time on the research staff of
the Bell Telephone Laboratories and serving as advisor to our government
in the installation of radar devices. It was a crucial moment in the
history of the Society because three members of the staff had departed
for war service. Dr. Ives took cognizance of these facts in his Presidential
Address:
I shall alter this order, and ask you first to look around, to see how the Society
is affected by the difficult and crucial conditions in which we live. For these condi-
tions have inevitably affected what we have been able to do in the past year, and
will similarly affect what we can plan for the future. Our activities during the past
year have been curtailed by very severe drafting of our personnel for the war. Two
members of the Council are in the armed services, and another elected member
could not accept office because of the assumption of war work. Our Museum staff
has been nearly cut in half by men going from us to the army. Similarly, of our active
membership we have a large honor roll. Under these conditions, of necessity, our
normal activities have been reduced. We have not had our full quota of those Satur-
day afternoon lectures, which have been of such great interest in the past few years.
Our publications have been somewhat reduced in number. The gatherings of enthu-
siastic numismatists on Saturday afternoons have been less well attended. The load
on the remaining members of our staff has been greatly increased, and their oppor-
tunities for new productive work diminished.61
After recalling the fact that the Society was in a good financial
situation at the moment, he pointed out that the income from the invested
funds was decreasing and showed every indication of continuing to do
so. As a result he advised that the present was not an auspicious mo-
ment to undertake new ambitious plans and enterprises. Everything
pointed to the prudent course of retaining a contracted staff and per-
severing as far as possible in the course that had been outlined. At the
same time there were things upon which the Society could congratulate
itself. An outstanding exhibition of the seventeenth century coinage of
the Americas including the Willow Tree, Pine Tree, and Oak Tree
coinages of Massachusetts had been held. As a result of this exhibition
a monograph had been produced on the seventeenth century hoard
found at Castine, Maine.52 The principal task, in the near future of the
268 THE MATURE YEARS
Society lay in the acquisition of the famous Newell Collection. The
entire collection, with the exception of 1,000 coins, was willed to the
Society and at the same time was accompanied by two new funds.
Newell had bequeathed a sum of $50,000 to be used as a coin purchase
fund and another sum of $25,000 as an "endowment fund" with the
"request that the same be used in aid of the publication of Numismatic
Works." Naturally the acquisition of these coins and medals as well
as the funds was a process requiring some years, and it will be treated
in the succeeding chapter. For the moment, it was found wise to main-
tain the current arrangement of the pieces and to appoint Mrs. Adra
M. Newell as Honorary Curator of the E.T. Newell Collection.
Naturally, the Newell bequest far outshone all others given to the
Society during the period, but there were others of great value. In the
very year of Newell's death, there also occurred the death of W. Gedney
Beatty. At one time Beatty had been a member of the Council, and in
his will he declared the organization a beneficiary of his estate for a
sizeable sum. W. Gedney Beatty was therefore named a Benefactor of
the Society, and it was decided that the fund thus established, which was
to be known as the W. Gedney Beatty Purchase Fund, was to be used
towards the acquisition of Greek coins.53 This was consistent with
Beatty's interests, for he had also bequeathed to the Society his collec-
tion of Greek and ancient coins. This was truly a magnificent gift be-
cause it included 1,037 silver and thirteen gold pieces extending from
the archaic to the Hellenistic periods. Beatty had been attracted by the
archaic style and had deliberately chosen to limit his collection to cer-
tain mints rather than to attempt to form a more representative show-
ing. Thus the mint of Tarentum was represented by thirty-five coins,
that of Heracleia by eighteen, Metapontum by fifty-one, Thurium by
thirty-eight, Velia by twenty-four, Croton by twenty-three, Terina by
twenty, Syracuse by fifty-six, Neapolis Macedoniae by twenty-two,
Thasos by thirty-four, Boeotia by sixty, Athens by eighty-six, which
were primarily early issues, Aegina by fifty-four, Corinth by ninety-
eight, twenty-three from the Corinthian colonies, Elis by thirty-eight
and Chios by twenty-four. Many of these pieces came from well-known
collections throughout the world and impressively enriched the So-
ciety's cabinet.54
1931-1945 269
Also in 1941, another collection which was noted for the condition of
the individual pieces appeared on the market. Dr. Edward P. Robinson,
a resident of Newport, Rhode Island, had assembled a large number of
excellent Greek and Roman silver and bronze pieces as well as some
miscellaneous specimens of other coinage. The Greek silver was acquired
by a private individual, but a portion of the remainder was obtained
for the Society through the generosity of George H. Clapp. In 1926, Dr.
Robinson had presented 133 Becker forgeries in lead from his collection,
so the new acquisitions formed part of a still larger unit from this col-
lection.55 Among the coins which were obtained in 1941 were another
578 Greek bronzes, 507 Roman bronzes, 63 English pieces, and 350
assorted miscellaneous coins.66 This gift was accompanied by still an-
other from James J. Rorimer which included 345 pieces, 188 of which
were of the Roman series, and the others from Northern Europe. In
this collection there was a magnificent gold piece of Charles XI of
Sweden which had been struck at Riga, and a considerable number
of Russian coins which had not been represented in the Society's
cabinet. James J. Rorimer, then Curator of Mediaeval Art at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art and later Director of that institution, had
naturally taken great care in assembling this collection, so it was doubly
valuable.57
Three other collections of note were also acquired during the period
before 1945. Henry B. Barnes donated a group of 414 miscellaneous
coins and medals in 1943 at about the same time that Emil W. Kohn
presented his collection of 823 artistic medals. The gift of Emil W. Kohn
included 92 silver medals, 43 silver plaques, 412 bronze medals, and 262
plaques in the same metal as well as 14 miscellaneous specimens. This
was a gift of sufficient significance to warrant the declaration of Mr.
Kohn as a Patron of the Society.
Harrold E. Gillingham had assumed the Chairmanship of the Com-
mittee on Decorations and War Medals in 1920. His interest in this
phase of the Society's activities was continuous and his efforts untiring.
Four monographs on the subject of decorations came from his pen
during the years 1928 through 1940, and these were published by the
institution.58 As each of these volumes was completed, that correspond-
ing part of his collection was transferred to the museum. Finally, in
270 THE MATURE YEARS
1944, Gillingham presented his entire collection of United States coins
which had been started in his youth. He also granted permission to
dispose of the duplicates and to use the proceeds for further purchases.
This permitted the addition of 120 pieces and the purchase of two well
known Willow Tree issues which were not then in the Society's pos-
session.59
Thus it happened that the Society during the period from 1930 to
1945, the years of the depression and the war which caused such dis-
location for the entire world, not only succeeded in maintaining its
position among the learned bodies but even furthered it. The issuance
of medals was not as actively pursued but the scholarly functions of the
institution were augmented and given a greater degree of emphasis.
The collection was built up in massive steps such as had not been wit-
nessed before, and connections with other learned groups and organi-
zations were fostered. For the future the path was clearly marked, and
the organization stepped forth boldly into the post-war era.
THE PEAK
I945-I958
end of the Second World War found the Society relatively un-
touched in the material sense that it was one of the few institutions of
its kind in the world which had not suffered any physical damage.
Several of the members of the museum staff, however, had put on
uniforms and entered the service for the duration of the conflict, and
as a result the Society was very largely dormant. Its resources for pub-
lication of new work grew materially in purely monetary terms be-
cause the incomes from the individual funds and investments continued
to be received, but the various expenditures which were normally
made in carrying out the activities of the institution had been curtailed.
In other areas of the organization's activities, however, the rising costs
of operation more than offset the gains made by the war. The Society
during the war years "like others of its kind not immediately asso-
ciated with the national emergencyendeavored to maintain its
existing facilities without attempting to enlarge its range of activities."1
It was not completely possible to restrict the activities of the Society to
simple routine matters because it will be remembered that President
Newell's death just before the entry of the United States into the global
conflict had created a great many new problems for the organization.2
Not the least of these problems was the absorption of the truly mag-
271
272 THE PEAK
nificent Newell bequest of 87,603 coins. In this task the Society was
very fortunate in securing the aid and advice of Mrs. Newell who had
been appointed Honorary Curator of the E.T. Newell Collection. Mrs.
Newell has continued the interest of her husband and contributed
generously to the success of the Society.
The receipt of the Newell bequest is not something that may be passed
over lightly, but rather something which deserves to be recalled with
frequency. It was impossible during the war years to integrate the
material from the Society's prior holdings with the new pieces from
the Newell Collection. Even as late as 1947, the Committee on Ar-
rangement of Collections was still troubled with this problem. The
report of that Committee utilized round figures for estimating the size
of the various collections but it does give us an approximation of the
problem. The Newell Collection contained about 60,000 Greek coins,
23,000 Roman pieces, and 2,000 Byzantine. The Society's own hold-
ings at the same time were estimated at 10,000 Greek, 7,000 Roman,
and 1,000 Byzantine coins. In addition, there were 477 Greek and
Roman coins on loan from the Morgan Library in the cabinets of the
Society.3 It is clear from this that even though the Newell Collection
had been magnificently cared for, boxed and labelled by Newell him-
self, and that labels and notes had been inserted into each box, the
task of integration was overwhelming. Scholars throughout the various
countries had followed Newell's work with the greatest attention, and
the members of the Society were anxious to view segments of this
magnificent treasure. Even during the war, in November 1944, at the
time of the acceptance of the bequest, an exhibition was held of some
of the specimens.
With this vast increase in the holdings of the Society it was neces-
sary to make certain changes in the library arrangements so that the
coins could be studied in the vault. It was decided that the best so-
lution was to create a second highly specialized library in the vicinity
of the vault for duplicate copies of the volumes on ancient numismatics.
As many of these texts as were available plus duplicate sets of the
periodicals were immediately moved into the ante-room. There they
were shelved together with new volumes which were purchased ex-
pressly for use in the so-called Newell Room Library which was being
1945-1958 273
formed. New shelving was installed, and funds were made available to
complete the entire project.
It was entirely fitting that the area in which Newell had carried on
the greater part of his researches should be devoted to commemorating
his great contributions to numismatic research. Accordingly, the
sculptor George Lober, who was a member of the Society, executed a
memorial plaque which was placed in the Newell Rooms. On this
plaque were inscribed the words: THESE WERE THE / WORK ROOMS
OF EDWARD T NEWELL / WHOSE EMINENCE AS / A NUMISMATIST WAS /
UNIVERSALLY RECOGNIZED BY SCHOLARS / AND WHOSE GENEROUS /
HELPFULNESS ENDEARED / HIM TO A HOST OF / FRIENDS. The unveil-
ing of this commemorative plaque was preceded by a series of moving
addresses by Professor T. Leslie Shear of Princeton University, Mrs.
Agnes Baldwin Brett and Professor Thomas O. Mabbott of Hunter
College as well as the reading of a message from Mrs. Newell. The full
texts of these addresses and a photograph of the plaque were published
in the Proceedings of 1945.*
The twelve years following the war and the immense Newell bequest
were actually destined to be the most active in the entire history of the
Society. With the acquisition of this new collection, the resources for
research were tremendously strengthened, and for the first time the
Society's collection, as opposed to that of any individual in the United
States, achieved primacy. At the same time that this added responsi-
bilty was placed upon the Society in terms of the contents of its ca-
binets, an increase in the endowment fund made it possible for the
organization to fulfill more adequately its appointed tasks. At the
Annual Meeting in 1946, President Ives announced a very generous
gift of a large block of securities from an anonymous donor. The donor
was Mr. Archer M. Huntington, whose revived interest in the group was
to serve as a stimulus to the succeeding groups of officers. President Ives
continued in his remarks to recognize that this new increment to the
funds of the Society had to be used wisely. "With this increment we can
plan with some definiteness those increases of activity which before we
could only speak of as pressing and desirable. First of all, we plan to
increase the staff of the museum, and are already canvassing the field
to secure persons whose training, equipment and chosen fields of study
18
274 THE PEAK
make them desirable candidates for future positions on the staff of
what we consider justifiably one of the most important institutions in
our field in the world."5
President Ives outlined a three-point program for the most advanta-
geous utilization of the new resources at the disposal of the Society.
This program involved an increase in the staff of the museum, an in-
crease in the training program for students, and an expansion of pub-
lication plans.
Those who followed President Ives have adhered to that outline and
in some instances carried his proposals even beyond his fondest dreams.
The result has been an enormous growth in the stature of the organi-
zation among the world's learned societies. Such growth cannot be
measured in purely statistical terms of growth of membership or in-
crease in the endowment, library and cabinet; it must be gauged in
terms of the effectiveness of the organization in carrying out its primary
scientific and academic tasks. Of course, there were disappointments
such as the withdrawal of the Morgan Collection from the vaults of the
Society in 1949 so that it might be disposed of on the market. In general,
however, the growth of the Society was steady and clear.
With the increased activity found at the museum during the next
dozen years, it became necessary to arrange for proper photographic
facilities. In the past, one of the assistant curators had acted as photo-
grapher, and the developing and printing was done commercially. By
1947, it was found that this procedure placed too great a burden on the
time of the assistant curator, and in July of that year a committee con-
sisting of Bellinger, Ives, and Nesmith was appointed to re-examine the
entire problem with a view to improving arrangements. Their in-
vestigation revealed that the assistant curator, William Clark, had
undertaken the task of photographing the objects for the museum
some eight years earlier when a professional photographer had relin-
quished the Society's work. Since the photographic facilities of the So-
ciety were utilized by private individuals as well, Clark was kept quite
busy with what had started as merely an additional duty. The Com-
mittee proposed that a complete photographic department would be
advisable with skilled professional employees handling the work. To-
wards the end of 1947, it proved possible to organize a photographic de-
1945-1958 275
partment under the care of DeVere W. Baker, a professional photo-
grapher with varied experience. When Baker retired in 1954, he was
asked to train his successor, Raymond Johnson, who has successfully
carried on the work of the department.
At an even earlier date, May 1941, the Society had begun to expand
the staff of the curatorial department. In that month, Mrs. Aline Abae-
cherli Boyce was asked to join the staff as Assistant to the Curator. She
later became Curator of Roman and Byzantine coins. Mrs. Boyce had
received a bachelor's degree from Cincinnati and a master's and doc-
toral degree from Bryn Mawr. She had also done some teaching as a
member of the faculties of Bryn Mawr and Cincinnati in the field of
Classics and had studied at the American Academy in Rome. Her
primary field of interest was Roman numismatics, and she was prompt-
ly put in charge of that aspect of the collection. In 1943, when her
husband was called into service in the Army, Mrs. Boyce took a year's
leave, but she returned the following year to remain with the Society
until 1956. In that year, she resigned from the staff to go with her
husband to the University of Michigan.
In 1946, George C. Miles, who had served as Honorary Curator of
Mohammedan Coins, joined the staff of the Society in connection with
the loan of the collection of The Hispanic Society of America which
will be discussed at a later point. Miles' connection with Oriental studies
had been extensive, and he had taken an active part in excavations in
Persia. In 1948, the American Oriental Society held a meeting in New
York, and for that meeting, at Miles' suggestion, a very extensive dis-
play of the Oriental coins in the cabinet of the Society was arranged.
Notice of this exhibition was released to the press and appeared in the
New York Sun and the Herald Tribune. The New York World-Telegram
printed a feature story on the second day of the exhibition in which it
was combined with the meeting of the Orientalists. Attendance at this
display, which opened on March 3oth, was good. The American Orien-
tal Society, cognizant of the fact that the exhibition had been planned
to coincide with their annual meeting, and that a special invitation had
been extended to them passed a resolution thanking the American
Numismatic Society. That resolution read, "The members of the Amer-
ican Oriental Society express their deep appreciation of the action of
18*
276 THE PEAK
the President and Council of The American Numismatic Society in
preparing and placing on view on the occasion of the Annual Meeting
of the American Oriental Society a special exhibition of the coinages of
the ancient, mediaeval, and modern East. This exhibition was visited
and enjoyed by many of the members of the Oriental Society." The
general success of this exhibition was noted by President Dewing in his
address at the Annual Meeting in I94Q.6
The character of the Society itself changed materially during this
last dozen years from what was a local group with local membership
even if it was of international importance. In 1920, sixty percent of the
membership of the Society was drawn from New York City. By 1958,
only nineteen percent was drawn from the same source. During this
same period, the percentage of foreign members had grown from five
to twenty-one. This trend, which was noticed in 1951, and commented
upon at that time, has also been reflected in an increase in institutional
members such as university libraries, until they reached eight percent
of the total membership. It was noticeable in other aspects of the So-
ciety's activities. A representative of the Society was present at the
German Numismatic Congress in Munich in I95O.7 In the very next
year a selection of the Society's medallic issues was sent to the Inter-
national Exhibition of Medals held in Madrid from November 18th to
December 2nd. Most important, however, in demonstrating the inter-
national character of the Society was the succession of foreign scholars
who spent time at the museum during the period. In 1945, Dr. Henri
Seyrig, Commissioner of Antiquities for Syria, delivered a lecture at
the museum on the "Tesserae of Palmyra."8 In 1950, Dr. C. H. V.
Sutherland of Oxford University delivered a lecture on "What is
Meant by Style in Coinage?" At that same meeting, Dr. Sutherland,
in his capacity as President of the Royal Numismatic Society, honored
Sydney P. Noe, the Chief Curator, when he presented him with that
Society's silver medal. This was a signal honor not only for Noe, but it
also reflected credit on the American Numismatic Society.
During succeeding years, the number of foreign scholars of renown
who came to the Society increased materially as a direct result of the
educational functions of the organization. When a program of graduate
study was instituted in 1952, it became incumbent on the Society to
1945-1958 277
furnish educational opportunities for these students. With that in mind
men such as Philip Grierson, Henri Seyrig, Andreas Alfoldi, C. H.V.
Sutherland, and G. K. Jenkins were asked to aid in that program.
All these men spent some months at the museum and contributed
greatly to the success of this program which will be discussed at a
later point.
The great expansion of the Society's activities and reputation was
begun with two magnificent gifts, the Newell bequest which so strength-
ened the actual collection and the gift of a valuable block of stock by
Archer M. Huntington, which made it possible to exploit this new
opportunity to the fullest extent. These were, however, only the most
important and first of a new series of gifts of money, books, and coins
which have virtually doubled the holdings of the Society in many
fields and have certainly strengthened it to face the future with con-
fidence. In 1946, an important gift was made. The will of Arthur J.
Fecht provided that his collection of ancient and modern coins would
be given to the Society after the death of Neoma Fecht, his surviving
sister. Miss Neoma Fecht herself became one of the strong supporters
of the work of the Society. Her donations in memory of her brother
proved to be one of the chief sources for coin purchases. The Fecht Coin
Purchase Fund, which has been continually augmented, has served to
commemorate in vital fashion the great interest in numismatics of
Arthur J. Fecht. Miss Fecht, moreover, went even further when, in
1948, she arranged for the immediate transfer to the vaults of the
Society of the more than 3,000 coins in the Fecht Collection. The
Council took cognizance of the continuing series of Miss Fecht's gifts
in her brother's memory and declared Arthur J. Fecht a Benefactor.
Along with other magnificent gifts must be placed those of William
B. Osgood Field and Louis H. Schroeder. In 1946, W. B. Osgood Field
presented his extensive collection of early New England and Massachu-
setts silver coins. As President Ives pointed out at the time, by virtue
of that single gift the Society's holdings in that field joined the ranks
of the most complete and important.9 One year later this gift was further
augmented by the presentation of 141 Greek coins and 656 Roman
pieces. This gift provided much of the source material for some of the
monographs published by the Society.
278 THE PEAK
It is quite impossible to treat even a fraction of the gifts made to the
Society during the last dozen years in any detail because they have
been so numerous. Many of them are described in the various curator-
ial reports published in the Proceedings. Some, however, were of such
outstanding significance that they cannot be passed over in silence.
For example, in 1946, Louis H. Schroeder made such a presentation
of German coins, medals, porcelain tokens, Siamese porcelain tokens,
and Arabic glass weights.10 Periodically to the time of his death he
added to that original gift and in consequence was declared a Bene-
factor. It was also through his assistance that the famous Strauss Col-
lection of cistophoric tetradrachms and fractional currency was ac-
quired in 1951. As a result of this purchase the cistophori in the mu-
seum represent what is probably the most important collection to be
found anywhere.11 On the occasion of the purchase of this collection,
the Council passed a resolution expressing the Society's appreciation
for Louis H. Schroeder's "friendly interest and generosity."
By far the most outstanding collection to come to the Society was
that of the Hispanic Society of America, brought together originally
by Archer M. Huntington. It consisted of 30,355 pieces when first
placed in the custody of the American Numismatic Society but has
since been materially increased by about 7,000 pieces. The actual
ownership remained in the hands of the Hispanic Society but the
study and publication of the collection was to be carried out under joint
auspices.
Archer M. Huntington had begun collecting coins at about the age
of nine, and in his own words, "It was perhaps ten years before I per-
ceived what responsibilities I had assumed and when I started to print
a catalogue of acquired material I became aware of the fact that I had
been little more than a mere collector and that I was faced with the
consideration of backgrounds of history, science and art for which I
was not sufficiently equipped at that time."12 The collection quite
naturally revolved around Hispanic culture. Within the field of numis-
matics as it related to Spain, the Hispanic Society Collection touched
all phases and included the most ancient and modern pieces.
Dr. Herbert E. Ives, President of the American Numismatic Society
in 1946, had carried on the negotiations with Mr. Huntington regard-
1945-1958 279
ing the deposit of these coins and the provisions for their publication.
Mr. Huntington provided the funds for the salary of a curator who
would apply himself to their study and even provided funds for the
purchase of volumes necessary for this study. Dr. George C. Miles was
retained by the Society to work on the collection. Once all of these ar-
rangements had been reduced to writing by Mr. Huntington they
were sent in the form of a letter to President Ives, and all the members
of the Council signed a copy of that letter at the meeting of June 21,
1946, as a token of acceptance.13
During the course of 1947, the vast bulk of the pieces in this unusual
collection were physically transferred to the American Numismatic
Society, and since housing so many pieces was in itself a matter of great
concern, the steel cabinets of the Hispanic Society were also sent with
the coins.
The Chief Curator, Sydney P. Noe, asked Miles to prepare a state-
ment on the contents of the collection placed under his care which re-
vealed the exceptional character of the coinage represented.14 Obviously
it would be too lengthy to detail the contents of that collection but with-
in it were specimens of all coins and medals in any way connected
with Spanish history and culture. In some areas, such as the Visigothic
coinage or the period of the Umayyads, it was unrivalled. It has pro-
vided the material for a number of publications which appeared as the
Hispanic Numismatic Series under the joint auspices of the Hispanic
Society of America and the American Numismatic Society. The im-
portant Visigothic collection covering the period from Leovigild to
Achila II and the pieces of the Umayyads have already been published
as well as a study of the Coins of the Spanish Muluk al- Tawa'if, and plans
have been made for the publication of the Celtiberian and early Visi-
gothic sections. This work will undoubtedly continue for many years.
It must be judged as comparable in significance to the tremendous
studies of the massive Newell Collection which had been acquired only
a few years previously.
In that same year, 1946, there was received from George H. Clapp
of Pittsburgh his collection of 1,452 large United States cents covering
the years 1793-1857. At the Annual Meeting, 1947, President Ives
made specific reference to this gift, a part of which was on display.
280 THE PEAK
President Ives said, "This makes our collection without a rival in this
department of numismatics. Thus within a few years the museum of the
American Numismatic Society has become what we have all agreed it
should be, the foremost repository of American numismatic material
in the country."15 George H. Clapp had been made a Benefactor fully
ten years earlier.
The important Maurice Gautier Collection, which had been as-
sembled by that French diplomat while he was stationed for extended
periods in Syria and Bulgaria, was acquired in 1947 through the bound-
less generosity of Archer M. Huntington. This renowned collection
consisted of 2,677 coins primarily in the Roman series but included as
well important Greek and Byzantine items.16 The superlative condition
of the pieces as well as the great rarity of a number of them added
materially to the value of this acquisition.
Charles G. Gunther, who had died in 1929, left an excellent col-
lection devoted principally to the coinage of ancient Cyprus. For many
years this treasure remained in storage in an old Venetian chest in the
Ottoman Bank at Nicosia. The family, including Christian Gunther,
the heir, expressed their willingness to cede the numismatic collection
in its entirety to the Society provided means could be found to nego-
tiate its export with the permission of the government of Cyprus. Prompt
negotiations were undertaken in 1949 shortly after the offer was made,
but it was impossible to secure complete control of the collection. In
1950, the authorities of Cyprus agreed to turn over the portion that was
duplicated in their collections on condition that the non-numismatic
parts of the collection be surrendered to the Cypriote Museum at
Nicosia. The other coins which were not to be found in the Cypriote
Museum collection were to be retained there as the Charles G. Gunther
Memorial Collection until duplicates were secured. The Society agreed
to these terms with some slight modifications, but the best part of the
Gunther Collection has therefore remained at Nicosia.
Also in 1949, a particularly outstanding coin was presented to the
Society by Wayte Raymond, the well-known coin dealer. The famous
Athenian dekadrachm with facing owl and wings outspread from the
Consul Weber Collection was presented to the Society. This single
specimen enriched the Greek cabinet of the museum to a considerable
1945-1958 281
extent because of the extreme rarity of these pieces and the great demand
for the few that are known.17 It was a gift which was to crown the many
other donations presented by Wayte Raymond as an indication of his
interest in the work of the organization. In consequence of this gift as
well as others, Wayte Raymond was declared a Benefactor in 1950.
The increase in the collections of the Society, however, was not com-
pletely the result of gifts of actual specimens. The many purchase funds
which had been placed at the disposal of the Society made it possible
to acquire otherwise unobtainable coins and hoards. One of the most
significant of such acquisitions occurred in 1950 when a hoard of 254
Persian sigloi found with a single half-stater of Croesus of Lydia was
purchased. This was larger than any previously recorded hoard and
in addition the individual pieces were not disfigured to any great
degree with countermarks whereas most of the sigloi previously known
had been mutilated in that way. It was also noticed that 117 of the
sigloi in this hoard were derived from a single punch die which occurred
in two states in the second of which a tiny letter, either an alpha or a
lambda, had been added to the center of the die.18 This hoard has since
provided material for a study by Sydney P. Noe.
Such acquisitions were made possible through continuous support
given to the Society by its friends. Among these must be numbered
Mrs. Adra M. Newell whose constant support has been one of its
strong assets. Mrs. Newell has continued to further the interests of the
Society in all ways possible and particularly in the matter of coin
purchases. The Council took cognizance of this aid in 1952 when it
declared her a Benefactor.
There were others who aided the Society in like fashion. The death
of David M. Bullowa, the Philadelphia coin dealer, in 1953 was a blow
to American numismatists, but his will contained a bequest of over
$5,000 to the Society.19 Mrs. Bullowa has followed in the footsteps of
her late husband with a series of very generous donations to the li-
brary. As a direct consequence, David M. Bullowa's name was in-
scribed in the entrance hall of the museum as a Benefactor and Mrs.
Bullowa was named a Patron and subsequently a Benefactor.
This twelve year growth in the history of the Society had, of course,
its moments of sadness through the loss by death of members who had
282 THE PEAK
maintained a very active relationship with the organization. Some of
these moments have already been mentioned, but the death of Dr.
Herbert E. Ives in November of 1953 was undoubtedly one of the most
serious blows to the Society. Dr. Ives was a distinguished optical
physicist who held the Medal for Merit for scientific services rendered
to the country during World War II. His numismatic interests were
concentrated in the fields of gold nobles of England, ducats of Venice,
and florins of Florence. On two occasions he lectured at the museum
on these coins and his three publications, one of which appeared pos-
thumously, marked significant advances in the knowledge of these
pieces. In addition to his scholarly contributions, Dr. Ives possessed
administrative ability of a very high order. He was a member of the
Council for twenty years and served as its President from 1942 to 1946.
He had generously donated the medals which had been awarded to his
father for scientific accomplishments. His wisdom, generosity and good
counsel were important factors in maintaining the Society on an even keel
and giving it its first impulse toward post-war growth. On his death it
was found that Dr. Ives had made a bequest to the museum of his collec-
tion of gold coins. Because of this munificent gift, which was recorded in
the Proceedings of 1955, Dr. Ives was enrolled among the Benefactors of
the Society. A large portrait medallion of Dr. Herbert E. Ives had been
made by Jeno Juszko, and it furnished the frontispiece of the Proceedings
published in 1948. The mounted bronze portrait was donated to the
Society by Dr. Ives and today it hangs in a place of honor.
In 1955, Mrs. Jean B. Cammann was named as a Benefactor of the
Society by virtue of her bequest of a large collection of Greek coins.
Mrs. Cammann was the author of a monograph on the symbols appear-
ing on Corinthian staters which appeared as Numismatic Notes and
Monograplis No. 55. Her splendid collection of the coins of Corinth and
her colonies as well as other Greek cities filled many gaps in the Society's
trays. There was a particularly noteworthy rare gold piece of Meta-
pontum and a dekadrachm of Kimon from dies not represented in the
Society's collection.20 The 483 pieces in the Cammann Collection were
particularly noted in the Proceedings of 1956.
Continuous support over a number of years by many individuals is
vital to the success of any organization such as the American Numis-
1945-1958 283
matic Society. The many names which have been recorded in this
book and an even greater number of patrons of numismatic studies not
mentioned have sustained the Society in all its difficult moments.
Happily such individuals are found in the ranks of the Society today
just as they have been in the past. In some instances, the benefactions
of the past have continued to bear fruit into the present. As one recent
example of a series of donations extending to the present moment, the
inclusion of F.C.C. Boyd among the list of Benefactors in 1956 may be
mentioned. Boyd had joined the Society as a Fellow in 1914, and made
several important donations. Particular note was taken of a gift of seven-
teenth and eighteenth century German box talers and similar pieces.21
In 1950, this was joined by an extensive collection of counterfeit dies
and counterfeits made by C. Wyllys Betts.22 Finally in 1956, to crown
his many donations, F.C.C. Boyd presented a collection of 13,552
items which represented approximately two-thirds of the total number
of acquisitions for that year. This last gift enriched many of the special-
ized collections of the Society such as the United States, Latin Ameri-
can, Modern and Mediaeval, as well as Indian and Far Eastern sections.23
As an example of a benefaction begun in the past but coming to
fruition in the present we may point to the bequest of Robert J. Eidlitz,
a former member of the Council. He had bequeathed a very substantial
sum to the organization. In 1955, almost $70,000 of that bequest was
received, and the Robert J. Eidlitz Building Maintenance Fund was
promptly established in accordance with the terms of the bequest.24
Actually, the responsibilities of the Society and its multiple activities
grew by leaps and bounds. Of course, there had to be a continual
watering of the plant if it was to flourish, and happily generous men
and women were not found wanting. So much so, in fact, that the fiscal
year ending on September 30, 1956, proved to be the one in which were
received the largest cash gifts in the history of the Society. In that year,
gifts totalling $361,087.46 were received from the estate of Robert J.
Eidlitz, Miss Neoma Fecht, the estate of Arabella Huntington at the
direction of Archer M. Huntington, Hoyt Miller, Mrs Edward T.
(Adra M.) Newell, and Charles M. Wormser.25
The flourishing condition of the Society quite naturally prompted
the members of the Council to plan for improvements rather than to
284 THE PEAK
maintain the status quo. By 1948, the income of the Society was large
enough to attempt to translate such thinking into concrete plans.
President Dewing put the matter very succinctly in his Presidential
Address of that year: "Our operating budget for the coming year in-
volves appropriations for approximately $65,800, while our special
purchasing and publishing funds will have available for expenditure
approximately $20,000 more. Of this amount, less than $4,000 comes
from the dues of our members. As a result of the skill of our Finance
Committee, of which Mr. West is Chairman, we are able to realize
about 4.5% on our invested funds, which amount to the present time
is approximately $1,475,000. This large endowment imposes on our
Society the duty and the obligation to serve as best we can, the ideals
of numismatic scholarship, so well exemplified by Edward T. Newell,
our president for many years."26
In April, President Dewing recommended that a Committee of the
Council be established to make a study of the arrangement of offices
and utilization of other space in the building with a view to making
recommendations concerning increasing efficiency. The first part of
the Committee's plan to be acted upon was the moving of the Secre-
tary's office from the basement to the second floor. This move was actu-
ally completed in the summer of 1949, and a spacious well-furnished
office was put at the disposal of the Secretary. Important changes were
also made in the arrangement of the library.27
In the fall of the same year, the serious overcrowding of the cabinets
containing the Greek, Roman, and Byzantine Collections became
apparent. All these coins were housed in the vault in which Edward T.
Newell had worked, but the size of the collection had grown very
rapidly. After considerable discussion, it was decided that the Roman
and Byzantine coins should be moved to the second room to the left
of the entrance to the Ancient Coin Department, once that room had
been made into a vault. In June of 1950, the Roman and Byzantine as
well as the Alexandrian coins struck under the Roman Empire were
moved to their new home. As part of this move it was planned to inte-
grate the original Society collection with the Newell Collection pieces,
and a good beginning was made towards completing this task.28
Maintenance and improvement of the building was a constant
1945-1958 285
concern of the Council. A Building Maintenance Reserve was establish-
ed, and $5,000 provided in the 1951 budget toward future building
repairs. The storage room under Audubon Terrace which had been
built many years earlier had suffered the ravages of time. The north
retaining wall of that room had begun to crumble, with the result that
water entered. A costly repair job was undertaken in 1951, and the
space was restored to use.
While this work was being planned a check for $50,000 was re-
ceived from an anonymous donor who proved to be Mr. Archer M.
Huntington. There could be no formal announcement of this gift, but
President West did comment on the general renovation that was
taking place:
Inside our building in the last year or two we have added a new vault for our
growing coin collections. Within the last month we have completed a large addition
to our library facilities. We have installed new lights in various parts of the building;
we have recently completed a new workshop for our maintenance staff. Earlier in
the year, roller blinds were installed over the skylights to darken this room (the
western exhibition room) for illustrated lectures. Last summer we started repairing
the badly cracked retaining wall facing the vacant lot opposite our building, an
undertaking which was necessary if we were to put in usable condition the large
room under our court. In this work the Provincial and priests in charge of Our Lady
of Esperanza Chapel promptly and willingly cooperated. The entire work should
long since have been completed, but unexpected difficulties connected with seepage
coming on to our property from the higher terrace of the American Academy of
Arts and Letters next to us have caused long delays.29
The gift of $50,000 was directly connected with the general reno-
vation program. Mr. Huntington warmly supported the improvements,
and this gift was to provide a part of the expenses for renovating the
two exhibition halls and the balcony. Sherley W. Morgan, formerly the
head of the School of Architecture at Princeton University, was re-
tained to plan the renovation. Vermilya-Brown and Company and
Mastercraft Associates carried out the actual construction and re-
decorating. The eastern exhibition hall was completely redone and a
second floor was added to the old building by bridging the entire area
encircled by the gallery. Library facilities were greatly expanded with
the use of this additional room while the displays and the actual plan
of the eastern exhibition hall showed scientific care and precision.
286 THE PEAK
Upon its completion in September 1953, the Council examined the
remodelled eastern exhibition room and Samuel R. Milbank, a member
of the Council, proposed a similar treatment for the western exhibition
room. This was acted upon at once and negotiations to carry out the
work were authorized. Archer M. Huntington, after observing the
results of the first renovation promptly volunteered his support with
a large gift. Almost $87,000 was spent upon the renovation of this new
room which was now arranged so that it could serve as a lecture hall
with a projection booth in the rear. Once again the height of the room
was cut and a second floor was added for the use of the library. The
entire program of renovation was substantially completed in 1955. In
addition to completing the two exhibition rooms, the mediaeval and
modern coin vault was strengthened and new cabinets installed, the
working area and office space in the vicinity being materially increased
and redecorated.
Particular attention must be paid to the new exhibitions which dis-
played the history of coinage in the eastern room and the exhibit of
medals and decorations in the western room. President West's com-
ments on them were graphic:
The old exhibition hall was rebuilt and new displays installed which illustrate
in an unusually effective way the development of coinage from the days of Croesus
to the present. When our two exhibition rooms were first constructed, one some forty-
five years ago, the other some twenty-five years ago, the best advice and talent
available were used in planning them and their display cases. The difference in these
two rooms today is an indication of the progress made in recent years in the solution
of problems connected with illumination, with the difficulties of reflection and in the
art of display. There is probably no museum room in existence today which fulfills
better its purpose of displaying small objects effectively and well.30
The final touch in this program was the construction of an ornamen-
tal iron gate and fence on Audubon Terrace to close off most of the
museums. Sherley W.Morgan was the designer. Such a gate and fence had
been planned by Mr. Archer M. Huntington for many years. He now
requested the American Numismatic Society to have a design proposed
and to supervise the construction. He provided a sum sufficient for this
purpose.
1945-1958 287
Thus it came about that the physical changes in the Society kept
pace with the new outlook which permeated all its activities in the post-
war period.
The increase in the resources and activities of the organization
during these twelve years also necessitated a greater degree of flexibility
in the constitutional structure. This was recognized by President Ives,
and the first steps toward a constitutional reorganization were instituted
by him in December, 1945. At that time he called the attention of the
Council to the desirability of having the Board of Governors include
the First, Second, and Third Vice-Presidents. No action was taken then,
and actually a year was to pass before this proposal was framed as an
amendment to the Constitution. At the Council meeting of November
9, 1946, such an amendment was submitted for consideration.
In 1940, a constitutional amendment had been enacted providing for
the election of the President by the five Governors from among them-
selves, and the election of the Treasurer as well as the appointment of
the Secretary, a salaried office, by the full Council.31 In 1942, a further
revision was made so that in addition three Vice-Presidents were to be
chosen by the five governors from among the members of the Council
and the appointment of the Secretary was also placed in their hands.32
According to the terms of the constitutional amendment adopted at
the Annual Meeting of 1947 the three Vice-Presidents were also to be
chosen by the Governors from among themselves.
The By-Laws of the Society had also undergone changes during the
years and this was particularly true with respect to the office of Presi-
dent. When these By-Laws were first adopted with the new Constitu-
tion of 1910, the office of President was abolished. In 1916, that office
had been restored with Edward T. Newell serving in the post. This
naturally necessitated the addition of a new first paragraph to the By-
Laws providing for the duties of the office. Newell's death while still
in office brought the problem of a vacancy to the fore and resulted in
the adoption in 1942 of an amendment stating that in the absence of the
President because of death or other cause, the Vice-Presidents should
act as President pro tem in order of seniority.
In concluding his Presidential Address at the Annual Meeting of
1946, Dr. Ives added a sentence wishing his successor "no greater boon
288 THE PEAK
than the continuation of the support I have been so fortunate in hav-
ing."33 Damon G. Douglas immediately asked for the floor and sug-
gested that the members present express, by rising, the appreciation
for the five years of splendid service rendered to the Society by Dr.
Ives as its President. With a single movement the entire assemblage
joined in honoring Dr. Ives for the steady hand that he had held on the
helm during the war years as well as for the impetus towards increased
activity which he had given immediately after the war. Dr. Ives made
a short response thanking the membership by saying that it had been
a privilege to serve, and that he liked to think that the Society was well
on its way to much greater things in the future.34
The Council did not delay long in the choice of a successor. Arthur
S. Dewing, who had served as a Councillor and Vice-President, was
selected to carry on the program which had been started. His task was
outlined by the state of the organization. With increased resources the
Society had the responsibility of using its facilities to the best advantage.
Arthur S. Dewing, a former Professor of finance at Harvard Univer-
sity who had a magnificent collection of Greek coins, was well suited
to the task. In the very month of his election, President Dewing stated a
policy which has since become virtually a tradition. He announced that
it was his purpose to have members of the staff on each of the standing
committees as secretaries. Prior to this, there had not been official
secretaries for these committees and the members of the museum staff
had only served intermittently on the committees themselves. The new
arrangement provided for closer integration of museum operation
with the work of the members. It has proven a success by experience.
In February, President Dewing laid his plans before the Council. He
spoke of the work of President Newell and of its great value to the
Society. It was his intention to accept this as his pattern and his desire
that serious scholarship should be the aim of all the activities. The
Publication Committee was in his view the most important of all the
standing committees, and with that in mind he asked Dr. Ives to head
that group so that the Society might not lose the benefit of his active
participation in its program. He also appointed a Finance Committee
consisting of Samuel R. Milbank, A. Carson Simpson, and Louis C.
West. The wisdom of his choice may be shown by the fact that the
Eastern Exhibition Room (1951)
Remodelled Eastern Exhibition Room
Remodelled Western Exhibition Room
New Library
1945-1958 289
membership of this committee has remained fairly constant to the
present.
The most important aspect of President Dewing's plan was the
creation of a Committee on Reorganization which would study the
activities of the staff and their duties with a view to suggesting im-
provements. A. Carson Simpson was appointed Chairman of this com-
mittee composed of Damon G. Douglas, Louis C. West, Herbert E.
Ives, and Stephen H. P. Pell. There was also a Committee on the Ar-
rangement of Collections which was to study the current arrangement,
with a view towards improvements and cataloguing. The Council
accepted this entire plan for future examination of the museum staff
and Society activites.
The Committee on Reorganization functioned very efficiently and
by April 7, 1947, the report which they had prepared had been studied
by the individual members of the Council and was on the table for
consideration. It recognized that the administration of the Society fell
into four categories of staff activity. First, there were the collections of
the Society under the care of the Curator; second, the library under
the Librarian; third, the publications under the Editor (an office not
yet provided for in the By-Laws); and last, the general administration
of the business of the Society under the Secretary as "executive officer
for the Board of Governors." It was recognized that the Curator would
be burdened during the immediate future with the rearrangement of the
collection. In addition, the Committee on Reorganization suggested
that the Curator should undertake the task of training and enlarging
the curatorial staff. Such a program could not be carried out at once,
but it was envisioned as a continuing program extending over a number
of years.
In accordance with this proposal, it was decided to standardize the
titles of the curatorial staff which then included such posts as "Assistant
Curator," "Assistant to the Curator," and even "Assistants to the
Assistant Curator." This welter of titles was to be reduced to a Chief
Curator, Curators and Assistant Curators. The Chief Curator, of course,
was Noe, and his unique talents as a student of Greek coinage were not
to be lost because of the load of administrative work. To give Noe time
for research and also to train others in Greek numismatics, it was de-
290 THE PEAK
cided that a competent assistant had to be procured. Actually two
years were to pass before Miss Margaret Thompson came to the So-
ciety on September 1, 1949, as Assistant Curator of Greek Coins. Miss
Thompson's experience as a member of the staff excavating the Agora
at Athens fitted her well for the position.
Noe, of course, had also been the Secretary for the Society since
April 25, 191 7.^ This had detracted from the time that he could devote
to his real specialty, Greek numismatics. As the report of the committee
stated, "This, it is submitted, is obviously wrong. No one else on our
staff is as competent as he in the curatorial field; ... The conclusion,
therefore, is inescapable that we should release Mr. Noe from his
responsibility as Secretary, at the earliest possible moment, so as to
permit him to direct all of his attention and energy to the Curatorship."
This latter change quite naturally led to a restatement of the func-
tions of the Secretary. In broad terms the report set forth the duties
and responsibilities of the Secretary. For the position Sawyer McA.
Mosser, who was then serving as Librarian and Editor, was chosen.
Since the Librarian's task involved full time, it was clearly imperative
that a new Librarian would have to be appointed. The posts of Secre-
tary and Editor could be held in common by one individual, and it
was suggested that they be confided to Mosser.
As for the library itself, it was agreed that the Assistant Librarian,
H. Alan Steeves, Jr., was to succeed to that post. In addition, a new
Assistant Librarian, John J. Buckley, a graduate of Tufts College and
Columbia University Library School, was appointed. He was also to
assist in the routine proof reading required by the Editor. With these
changes in the staff of the library, the Committee on Reorganization
began to apply itself to the actual working of the library. It was noted
that while the Editor was in constant contact with the Council through
the Publication Committee, and the Curator by means of various
standing committees, the Librarian had no direct channel of com-
munication. To remedy this situation, it was recommended that the
Library Committee should be added to the list of standing committees.
It was also suggested that since the Curator and Editor were to attend
Council meetings a similar invitation should be extended to the Li-
brarian.
1945-1958 291
The entire report of the Committee on Reorganization was embodied
and summarized in sixteen recommendations. President Dewing gave
a thorough explanation of the substance of the report which had been
previously circulated, and the Council accepted the suggestions
unanimously.
Changes of such an important nature in the structure and operation
of the staff necessitated fundamental revision of the Constitution and
By-Laws. This also fell into the province of the Committee on Re-
organization and was carried out with dispatch under A. Carson
Simpson, who on October 1 oth submitted a lengthy report. The changes
suggested were so great that it was thought wiser by the Committee to
draft a new Constitution rather than to amend the version of 1910.
The legal talents of A. Carson Simpson are immediately evident in
the reading of this report and the proposed new constitution. After a
penetrating statement of the purpose and nature of a constitution and
by-laws in such circumstances, the draft itself, which was presented in
November, contained an introduction and marginal notes showing the
variants from the 1910 version as amended. Everything of a more per-
manent nature was enshrined in the new Constitution, and those items
of a general nature calling for more frequent change were relegated to
the By-Laws. The results of the earlier recommendations about the staff
were also included in the new draft. Since the By-Laws were necessarily
dependent in content on the adoption of the new Constitution, it was
decided to delay drafting them until some action had been taken.
The most important change introduced by the new draft constitution
was the abolition of the Board of Governors. The Board of Governors
had long since lost its original function as the executive body of the
Society. It met only once a year for a few minutes to carry out its
electoral responsibilities, and for the remainder of the time its members
acted by virtue of their positions as officers or members of the Council.
In the future the Council was specifically described as having general
management of the affairs of the Society.
A second important change was made in the procedure adopted for
amending the By-Laws. According to the By-Laws of 191 o, such amend-
ments could be made only at a regular meeting and then only by a
two-third vote of those present. Though this provision also required that
19*
292 THE PEAK
written notification be given to all members in writing at a previous
meeting, in actual fact a constitutional provision restricted the fran-
chise to Fellows of the Society. During the years from 1910 to 1947,
when many of the permanent and fundamental rules of the Society
were embodied in the By-Laws, such a broad base for change seemed
advisable. Under the new draft constitution, in which only the rules
subject to regular alteration were in the By-Laws, it seemed wiser to
simplify the process of amendment by granting such power to the
Council by itself with the one restriction that they could not change
the dues without the consent of two-thirds of the Fellows and Honorary
Fellows present at a meeting.
If a vote by the entire membership could not be taken at the Annual
Meeting which was scheduled to take place in January 1947, there
would have been a delay of two years before the Constitution could be
accepted. Fortunately that was not the case, and on January 10, 1948,
the new Constitution and a proposed amendment to the By-Laws was
presented for a vote of the Fellows. Dr. Ives explained the significance
of the various changes to the members. There was a brief discussion in
which some members of the Society participated, and the new Con-
stitution was accepted.
Exactly one year elapsed between the adoption of the new Con-
stitution and the inclusion of the first amendment. During that year
Dr. Ives had noted that even though the preliminary study of the Com-
mittee on Reorganization dealing with staff activities had specifically
mentioned the collection of paper money as one of the functions of the
Society, it was not included in the Constitution. At the January 1949
meeting he therefore proposed amending Article II, Section 2, to
include the maintenance of a collection of paper money as one of the
purposes of the organization.36
Stephen H. P. Pell had taken up the reigns of leadership in the very
difficult days immediately following the death of Edward T. Newell.
Under the provisions of the new Constitution it was proposed that he
should be accorded the title of Honorary President for life. By a unani-
mous vote of the members present at the Annual Meeting of 1949
that was done, and in a few words Pell expressed his pleasure at the
honor which was conferred upon him.37 Unfortunately, the enjoyment
1945-1958 293
of that honor was not to be very long, for he died the following year.
The Council paid tribute to his memory at their September meeting by a
standing moment of silence and passed a commemorative resolution which
was spread upon the minutes and communicated to Stephen Pell's family.
It recalled the many services which he had given to the Society and his
interest in numismatics and American history. He had served his
country with distinction in war, and shown a deep concern not only
for the past but also contemporary development. As the Council noted,
"By tradition and practice he was truly a humanist."
Arthur S. Dewing served as President for two years between 1947 and
1949 after which he gave up all offices in the Society but continued to
work actively on behalf of the institution as a member of the Council.
His successor in the Presidency was Louis C. West. President West
had had experience in archaeology in Egypt, and in business and gov-
ernment in Cleveland. He was associated with Princeton University
as a Lecturer in Classics and Curator of the Coins and Medals at the
Princeton University Library.38
In the latter part of 1949, a substantial change was made in the pro-
cedure for the nomination of officers. According to the By-Laws as they
then stood the Council was responsible for nominating officers for
vacancies created as they occurred. In November, 1949, it was suggested
that a Nominating Committee should be one of the standing committees
of the Council along with the Executive Committee, the Finance Com-
mittee and the Auditing Committee. This new committee was to con-
sist of three councillors, including such past Presidents as might be
members of the Council and available for the responsibilty. If more
than three former Presidents were present on the Council, then the
last three who had held that office were to serve. The nominations of
the new committee were to be presented annually to the Council at the
first meeting of that body after the Annual Meeting of the Society.
This procedure was promptly adopted as simplifying the entire process
of nomination, and President West appointed Stephen Pell, Dr. Her-
bert Ives, and Arthur S. Dewing, the last three to hold the office of
President, to the Committee.39
Various other amendments in the By-Laws and Constitution were
made from time to time during the period following 1952, but none
294 E PEAK
of them altered the fundamental structure of the Society nor the
manner in which the various activities were carried out. All these
changes were published in the Proceedings at the time that they were
passed either by the Council or by the Fellows.
In October 1952, it had become evident that the burden on the Presi-
dent was very heavy because of the amount of supervision of detail
which was required of him. As a result, a resolution was framed em-
bodying changes in the Constitution and By-Laws to remedy this con-
dition. The suggestion was made that the creation of the post of Exe-
cutive Director to deal with such matters of a routine or purely detailed
nature might eliminate the difficulty. The Council accepted this re-
commendation and created the new post by means of an amendment
to the By-Laws which was announced to the members at the Annual
Meeting on January 16, 1954. No appointment was made to the new
post for some time, and it was only on February 11, 1955, that President
West announced that Sawyer McA. Mosser, the Secretary, had been
chosen to fill the new position.
The fact that the staff of the institution was growing has been
mentioned several times during this chapter. All these additions were
made in accordance with the increase in the activities of the organi-
zation. For a short period between July, 1947, and December, 1949, the
Society was very fortunate in securing the services of Yii-ch'uan Wang
as Curator of Far Eastern Coins; his Early Chinese Coinage, based upon
the Society's Collection, appeared in 1951 in the Numismatic Notes and
Monographs series. By 1949, the political situation in the Far East had
changed considerably, and Wang was worried about the fate of the
family that he had left behind. The Communists had seized control of
the entire mainland of China, and any communication with his family
was difficult. Under these conditions he decided to return to his home-
land.
As has been mentioned, when Mosser was appointed as Secretary of
the Society it became necessary for him to resign his post as Librarian,
and he was succeeded by H. Alan Steeves, Jr. The latter did not hold
that post for long. Barely one year after his appointment he found it
advisable to resign so that he might join his father in a business venture.
The Society was very fortunate in securing the services of an eminently
1945-1958 2Q5
qualified librarian the very next month. Richard P. Breaden, who had
taken his undergraduate work at Brown University and pursued gradu-
ate studies at the American School of Classical Studies at Athens, and
at the University of Wisconsin, Catholic University, and the Univer-
sity of Michigan, was asked to join the staff. Breaden's library experi-
ence was very extensive for he had been connected in an official capa-
city with the Gennadeion in Athens as well as the New York Public
Library. In addition he had been the Acting Keeper of Early Printed
Books at the Morgan Library. These extensive experiences in library
work added to a remarkable knowledge of many languages fitted him
for the task of handling the Society's library at the time that the most
important steps were to be taken for its expansion. Under Breaden's
guidance, cataloguing was more complete than ever before and pur-
chases were greatly increased. A truly remarkable expansion was
undertaken which, in later years, was to include not only the works of
a specialized nature but also necessary books in allied fields. The
library became a most workable instrument for scholarly research
and gained an enviable reputation as possibly the finest numismatic
library in the world. Scholars resorted to it in increasing numbers and
the burden of servicing the large collection was great.
For a few years, Breaden was able to carry on with a minimum of aid,
but the time arrived when an assistant of similar capability had to be
found. In October of 1952, Geoffrey H. North, who had studied at
McGill and Columbia Universities and had been connected with the
Brooklyn Public Library, was prevailed upon to join the staff of the
Society as Assistant Librarian. Here again the Society was very for-
tunate and under his hand the cataloguing of the books and the exten-
sive periodical and offprint files of the Society was successfully carried
out. The introduction of graduate instruction into the program of
activities at the Society at a later date naturally increased the pressure
on the library, but this test was successfully met.
The first steps toward increasing the curatorial staff were actually
taken some time before the Committee on Reorganization presented
its report. President Ives was cognizant of the need for expansion and
seized the opportunity immediately after the war to carry out the first
steps of the program. In 1946, Richard D. Kenney, an experienced
206 THE PEAK
numismatist, was engaged as Curator of Medals. For seven years he
continued in that capacity and aided in cataloguing and caring for the
very extensive collection of medals and European coins. In 1953, he
resigned to take a post in the business world, and this loss was sorely
felt. Fortunately, Henry Grunthal, who had studied at Berlin, Paris
and Jena, was then in New York. He had studied numismatics with
Prof. Regling in Berlin and served for one year as Assistant Curator to
Geheimrat Pick in the cabinet at Gotha before entering the coin trade
in Germany in his father's concern. Grunthal was obviously well
suited for the task, and in June of 1953 he joined the staff as Assistant
to the Chief Curator.
It was in that same year that Dr. Howard L. Adelson was asked to be-
come a member of the staff. He had studied at Princeton and taught
there until he was recalled to military service for the Korean conflict.
Upon his release from active duty he was asked to join the editorial
staff, and arrangements were later made to permit him to continue
teaching at the City College of New York while working on the various
publications of the Society.
A very significant change in personnel occurred on the curatorial
staff in the same year. In the year 1953 Sydney P. Noe, the Chief
Curator, had been granted a Fulbright Award for nine months' study
abroad. While Noe was in Greece it was decided that Dr. George C.
Miles should serve as Acting Chief Curator. Noe's services to the So-
ciety had been extensive and the Council took the occasion to pass a
resolution in his honor. He had held the posts of Librarian, Editor,
Secretary and Chief Curator. In each of these positions he had made
a major contribution. The system of cataloguing the books in the
library had been worked out by him. In such a specialized branch of
scholarship, of course, this presented novel problems. In addition, he
had written extensively in many fields of numismatics, but perhaps
he was best known as an authority on Greek coinage. Many of his
publications on various aspects of that subject have taken their place
as standard works. It was decided that Sydney P. Noe should be asked
to continue his efforts on behalf of numismatics in the capacity of
Chief Curator Emeritus and that Dr. Miles should be named as Chief
Curator.
1945-1958 297
This display of energy which marked the last dozen years of the
Society's history could not but necessitate an increase in the staff con-
cerned with the general conduct of the Society's affairs. The first step
taken towards that end was the appointment of Raymond E. Main as
Assistant Secretary in 1953. For many years, Main had directly super-
vised those business aspects of the Society which were not related to the
technical workings of the museum. This new post granted recognition
for the excellent fashion in which the general affairs of the organization
had been handled.
This present history is only the most recent in the long series of
publications issued by the Society during its one hundred years of life.
During the war years, however, there had been a general lag in the
number of volumes issued because of the exigencies of the national
effort. In 1945, President Ives realized that a surplus had accrued in the
funds available for that purpose, and consequently he planned a more
extensive campaign of publications than ever before. Under Prof.
Bellinger's editorship the high quality of the publications issued by the
Society was maintained.40
As of the time that Prof. Bellinger became Editor there were two
series of publications that were still being issued. In 1945, it was decided
that a new publication should be started. This new series of volumes
was to be more in the nature of a journal appearing occasionally and
devoted in large part to research regarding various phases of the
material in the Society's cabinets. President Ives took the opportunity
to present this new series in his Presidential address of 1946. On that
occasion he said, "there has existed for some time a need for a medium
to present more adequately than in our annual listing of items, a view
of the acquisitions to our collections. We have occasionally printed a
plate in our transactions illustrating some of the more outstanding coins
added, but with the accelerating rate of growth of the collections this is
not enough. Moreover many of these coins deserve some comment,
although not enough for separate monographs. With this in mind, we
are launching a new annual publication to be called 'Museum Notes'
which will carry a more representative selection of illustrations of new
acquisitions, notes upon those of particular importance, as well as
short articles, some supplementary to existing monographs, and some
298 THE PEAK
of which are not of monograph length. We hope that this publication
of which the 1945 volume should be in your hands before this issue
of the 'Proceedings'will prove informative and valuable to the
members; and that through it, their acquaintance with the Society's
treasures may be increased."41
In May of 1947, before the second volume of Museum Notes had come
from the printer, Dr. Ives, as Chairman of the Publication Committee,
presented to the Council a memorandum embodying the recommen-
dations of that Committee in regard to a new publication Numis-
matic Literature. The general idea had been advanced and sponsored by
A. Carson Simpson at an earlier meeting of the Council. During
January, 1947, Prof. Bellinger had indicated that it was no longer
possible for him to carry on the position of Editor. The many calls
upon his time from various sources proved to be too much, and so it
was that the carrying out of the plan for this new publication was left
to Dr. Herbert E. Ives and the new Editor, Sawyer Me A. Mosser. As
Dr. Ives conceived of the new publication, it was to contain a list of
current books, pamphlets and articles related to numismatic studies
with an abstract of each. In addition, there was to be an index of the
reviews of numismatic publications, a list of auction and fixed price
catalogues. Of necessity, the first number had to be of an introductory
nature, and it was devoted to a list of the publications of the war period.
In discussing the birth of this new periodical devoted to biblio-
graphical study some few facts should be mentioned to indicate that the
idea for it did not develop in a vacuum. From 1880 to 1939 a total of
twenty-six volumes of the Numismatisches Literatur-Blatt had been issued
in Europe. This publication had the same purpose as the newer one,
but it was not as inclusive in its coverage. In 1939, however, even that
relatively incomplete bibliographical tool ended its career. Throughout
the war there was no coverage of the publications in the field of numis-
matics and, of course, there was no exchange of books and articles
between the warring powers. After the conflict, it was quite apparent
that the resumption of this bibliographical publication was very un-
likely. Under those conditions, it seemed wisest to the Publication
Committee under Dr. Ives to undertake to replace it by a new journal
devoted to the same purpose. When information regarding the new
1945-1958 299
project was communicated to the various scholars and societies in
Europe there was an immediate favorable reaction. Men of standing in
numismatic studies such as C. H. V. Sutherland wrote to congratulate
the Society "on a venture which is of the very utmost value and im-
portance." He spoke of the great need for such a journal and for
the excellent lines along which the Publication Committee had
planned it.42
The European scholars were also most helpful in volunteering aid in
securing abstracts and assuring a stream of bibliographical notices for
the journal. It was planned to carry on this project with the help of
the different numismatic societies and associations. Nils Rasmusson of
the Statens Historiska Museum och Kungl. Myntkabinett in Stock-
holm commented on the need for broadening this basis for securing the
best results. In his letter Rasmusson welcomed the project and assured
the American Numismatic Society of all assistance, but he also said,
"It is, however, a problem if your project can practically be carried
through only with the help of the different Numismatic Societies and
Associations: In most of the cases these have probably no possibilities
to provide you with the necessary materials for the purpose of your
periodical. In reality the more scientific interests of these Societies have
always been managed by the attendants of the public museums and
Numismatic collections of the various countries. This is quite natural
because it is part of the duty of these scholars to follow the publications
and actual periodicals etc., while I wonder, whether there is some
interest for this taste among members of most of the Societies who have
no regular access to scientific libraries etc. etc."43 Since that time
Rasmusson's prediction has been eminently borne out. The most im-
portant foreign contributors to Numismatic Literature have been those
scholars who have been connected with public collections.
Another important innovation began with the publication of Numis-
matic Literature. For some years, it will be remembered, the size of the
publications issued under the auspices of the Society had been 43/8 x 6x/2
inches. In the case of Numismatic Literature the original format was
increased so that the size of the page was roughly 6x9 inches. The new
size appeared to have many advantages, so it was decided that it
should be adopted for all of the publications of the organization.
3<DO THE PEAK
Numismatic Notes and Monographs No. no, The Oak Tree Coinage of
Massachusetts by Sydney P. Noe, was the first of that series in which the
larger format was used. With the larger page there was a greater area
on each plate which made for far more economical illustration of the
material which did not fit well in the smaller size.44
The year 1947, in which the first issue of Numismatic Literature ap-
peared, proved to be one of the most successful from the standpoint of
the publications. The first issue of this new periodical, as has been said,
was devoted to the publications which had appeared during the war.
Of course, it was not completely exhaustive and two years later a sup-
plementary list was published covering exactly the same period. By
January of 1948 a regular issue of Numismatic Literature devoted to the
publications issued in 1946 was brought from the press. In 1947 as well,
there were two monographs issued by the Society in the series called
Numismatic Notes and Monographs as well as the second volume of the
journal called Museum Notes. In addition, there was a full-sized volume
entitled The United States Cents of the Years 1795, 1796, 1797 and 1800 by
George H. Clapp and Howard R. Newcomb, which was published.
The following year inaugurated still another series of publications,
but this time issued under the joint auspices of the Hispanic Society of
America and the American Numismatic Society. With the loan of the
collection of the Hispanic Society of America to the Numismatic So-
ciety for publication, discussions were held between Dr. Ives as Chair-
man of the Publication Committee and Archer M. Huntington as
President of the Hispanic Society, with regard to the new series. They
agreed at this conference on the details concerning the new publication
which was to be known as the Hispanic Numismatic Series. The financial
responsibilities of each organization were delineated, and the general
form of the title page was determined. This agreement was ratified by
the Council at its meeting on March 12, 1948.
The new Hispanic Numismatic Series had an assured future in 1948
because the financial burden for its production was shared with an-
other group. At the end of 1948 this could not be said of the other
publications issued under the auspices of the Society. The Publication
Committee described the situation in its report to the Council on
December 10, 1948.
1945-1958 301
A temporary solution was found in removing the Editor's salary from
the list of publication expenses and charging it against the operating
fund, while Museum Notes was specifically declared to be an occasional
publication and not an annual one. In addition, it now became neces-
sary to appropriate money specifically for publications. The actual
costs of issuing a monograph had risen sharply and despite various
attempts at economy the Publication Fund was simply not large
enough to sustain the various costs. Even the attempt to use a photo-
offset process for issuing Numismatic Literature was unsuccessful.
The year 1950 proved to be a landmark in the history of the pub-
lications issued under the Society's auspices. Four numbers of Numis-
matic Literature and four new monographs headed the list of new vol-
umes. In addition the first of the works in the Hispanic Numismatic
Series also appeared as well as a volume of Museum Notes. The first index
to the issues of Numismatic Literature was printed and distributed. Still
other volumes were in the press at the end of the year.45 One of these
was The Alexander Coinage of Sicyon prepared by Sydney P. Noe from the
notes of Edward T. Newell which became the sixth volume in the
series called Numismatic Studies. The record of 1950, however, was sur-
passed two years later when the second volume of the Hispanic Numis-
matic Series and two more books of the Numismatic Studies were published
as well as three new monographs and the fifth volume of Museum Notes
and the usual four numbers and index of Numismatic Literature.*6 Thus
despite the rising costs and the difficulties faced by the Publication
Committee, the stream of books of great importance for numismatic
scholarship has continued to flow from the Society to the present mo-
ment.
By far the innovation which has had the greatest effect upon numis-
matic studies in this country and which promises to have an even greater
effect in the future has been the entry of the Society into the academ-
ic world as an institution providing instruction for graduate students
in the humanities. The first steps in this process were taken by Presi-
dent Ives even before World War II had come to an end. Throughout
the lean years of the war, President Ives had stressed the fine opportu-
nities which the museum had to offer to students, particularly those
in the classical field, who were debarred from the centers of learning
302 THE PEAK
in Europe. During 1943, the Council took specific steps to call this once
again to the attention of the various leaders in American universities.
A circular was printed which told of the collections which the Society
possessed as well as of its library and its work in aiding scientific
scholarship. This circular was widely distributed throughout the coun-
try to the leading institutions. It urged that students, especially gradu-
ate students having scholarships or fellowships, avail themselves of this
unique opportunity for research in a fascinating field of study. At the
time, of course, there was little hope for an overwhelming response be-
cause of the virtually complete preoccupation with the war effort.47 The
desire to help young scholars and the belief in the effectiveness of the
Society as an academic institution were not permitted to languish by
default. In 1944, the Society made a step in the direction of expressing
its aims in concrete fashion. The Edward T. Newell Fellowship worth $300
was established and granted to a graduate student from Yale who spent
the summer working on a listing of the Newell Collection.48 Even more
ambitious proposals were mentioned involving university research
professorships and the like, but to carry these plans to fruition required
additions to the endowment.
The scholarship established by the Society itself was considered a
permanent feature of the activities of the organization after two years
of operation with two different recipients. In addition, in 1945, a second
scholarship was established by the American Numismatic Association.
This latter one carried the same stipend as the former, but it was to be
given for work on the coinage of the Americas. At the same time the
increase in the financial resources of the Society which followed the
war made it possible for the organization itself to expand this program.
One method was to employ graduate students for the summer to work
in the vaults. This was undertaken, and in 1945 in addition to the
Newell Fellowship there was a graduate student employed for work
with the coins, which would benefit the Society directly as well as the
student. With the passing years this practice gained in importance and
a succession of young students came to the museum to help in bringing
the photofile of illustrations from auction catalogues up to date or to
aid in the various curatorial branches. In 1947, three students were
engaged in those capacities. One of these graduate students continued
1945-1958 33
during the winter months, but on a part-time basis. In 1950, two more
students replaced those of the preceding summer.
Further steps were taken to encourage young scholars to utilize
numismatics in their researches. In 1951, the Council decided to offer
a prize of $ 1 oo for the best paper based in a large degree on numis-
matic evidence. The contest was open to undergraduate as well as
graduate students, and the winner of the prize was Cornelius C. Ver-
meule, III, who was later to teach at Michigan and Bryn Mawr and
finally to take a post as Curator of the Classical Collection of the
Boston Museum of Fine Arts and become a member of the Council
of the Society.
In that same year, four young people were brought to the museum
during the summer to continue the educational program which had
been started six years before under the aegis of President Ives. These
four students, Miss Brooks Emmons, Oleg Grabar, Roger Hornsby,
and Howard L. Adelson were given some instruction by the staff at
the same time that they were employed in various departments. Among
them the drive for a more intensive program of teaching on the part of
the Society came to the fore. At the close of the summer, the concept of
a type of seminar was born of conversations with one of the graduate
students. Planning for this Seminar continued through the following
winter and reading lists were prepared. In mid-September the entire
program was presented to the Council. It was recognized that the
Newell Fellowship had not been completely adequate for the purpose
because the recipients had been increasingly involved with the purely
routine tasks of the museum, which did little to stimulate recognition
of the value of numismatics as a field of humanistic research. If numis-
matics was to achieve its rightful place among the ancillary sciences
of the humanities and social sciences, the Society would have to dem-
onstrate to an increasing number of graduate students that it had an
indispensable contribution to make to their researches. To accomplish
this aim, it was proposed that the Society offer ten fellowships carrying
a stipend of $500 to graduate students in Classics, Oriental Languages,
History, Economics, Art, and Archaeology. These students were to
spend ten weeks during the summer at the museum studying and
writing in a formal program. For the first two weeks of the program the
304 THE PEAK
students were to devote themselves to background reading and becom-
ing familiar with the techniques and methods of the subject. After that
there were to be meetings at which some visiting scholars or members
of the staff would deliver a paper showing how numismatics had been
used in solving a particular problem. For each of these conferences,
there was to be a separate reading list which would familiarize the
student with the nature of the problem before he heard the paper read.
After each paper, there was to be a discussion among all participants in
the meeting. Lastly, it was expected that every student would prepare
and submit a paper utilizing numismatics in research in something that
fell within his own field of specialization. These student papers were to
be delivered and to serve as the subjects of individual seminar meetings
during the last two weeks of the summer.
A notice of this new fellowship series was circulated to the various
graduate colleges of this country and Canada, and the applications
from the students soon began to flow to the Society. When they had all
been received and examined it was found that more than ten students
had the unusual qualifications which merited entrance into this pro-
gram. The Council therefore increased the number of awards, and
thirteen students were accepted in 1952 for the first year of the Summer
Seminar in Numismatics.
Of course there were difficulties in this first effort, but the visitors
who viewed the Seminar and those who took part in it were uniformly
impressed by its value and the interest which it stimulated. As a result,
the Council determined to repeat the program for the following year.49
In every year since then the program has been continued with some
changes in the speakers and in the visiting scholars. Interest in the
Seminar grew with the passing years, and its effectiveness might be
judged not only from the response of the students who have often
published the results of their researches in various scholarly journals
but have continued with topics studied at the Seminar for doctoral
dissertations. To list these publications and dissertations which owe
their origin to the Summer Seminar in Numismatics would be a very
congenial task, but the list has already grown so long during the six
years of the program that it is impossible to do so. A further reflection
of the success of the program may be found in the very laudatory com-
The Reilly Roomused for Meetings of the Council
Library Reading Room
* -t.
The Huntington Plaque
Archer M. Huntington, President
1903-1909
Portrait of Louis C.West, President 1949-,
by DeWitt M. Lockwood
1945-1958 '305
ments of the visiting scholars who took part in various sessions of the
Seminar or who have had occasion to witness its results.50 The fact
that capable young scholars were now provided with an opportunity
to become acquainted with numismatics as a significant area of classical
and mediaeval scholarship was quickly recognized by the Council and
the program was made a permanent part of the future enterprises of the
Society.
In view of this success new ideas were sought which would permit
the Society to utilize its resources to even greater effect among the
coming generation of scholars. The proposal was made and accepted
in 1957 that the Society sponsor a number of fellowships carrying a
stipend of $2,500 each to be granted to past members of the Summer
Seminars who are completing their doctoral dissertations in subjects
in which numismatics provides a significant part of the evidence. Nom-
inations for these grants are to be made by the deans of graduate
schools including those of Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Columbia, New
York University, University of Pennsylvania, Bryn Mawr College, and
the University of Michigan. Applications from students from univer-
sities other than those just listed, however, are also to be considered,
but the requirement that the candidate must attend the Summer
Seminar in advance of the year for which the fellowship would be granted
is to be maintained. In addition, the dissertation, when completed, is to
be submitted to the Society for possible publication in whole or in part.
This new addition to the program of graduate instruction should
stimulate even greater interest among young scholars.
In retrospect, the last dozen years of the history of the American
Numismatic Society have marked the adult vigorous manhood of an
organization which has outgrown its humble origins to take its place
among the learned institutions of the country. Even the great losses
which were sustained through the death of firm and generous suppor-
ters did not break the thread of progress. On December n, 1955, the
death of Archer Milton Huntington, who had done more to enhance
the Society than any other man, was sorely felt. As the Council me-
morialized on the occasion of his death, Archer M. Huntington's "Life
career might be epitomized as one of'adventures in giving,' for indeed
the last fifty years of his life were devoted to the giving away of the
306 THE PEAK
resources of his mind and experience as well as of his great means."51
For fifty years he had served as a member of the Council and for five
years between 1905 and 1910 had been President of the Society. More
than anyone else he was responsible for the magnificent home of the
Society and for its ability to carry on its various enterprises. Not only
in the realm of material giving had he taken an active role but also in the
constant counsel which he gave to his successors. His interest in the
Society did not slacken with the passing years, and he was mourned
by all. Barely two years before Mrs. Anna Hyatt Huntington had made
a magnificent plaque of her husband which illustrated many of the
features of his character as a student of the arts. This large medallion
was given to the Society and hung in the renovated western exhibition
hall where it remains as a memorial to the man who joined a small
local numismatic society in 1899 and with his vision and force as well
as his material resources built it into a great institution. This, however,
was insufficient to show the appreciation of the Society toward the man
who had so often anonymously made things possible. From a part of the
endowment previously given by Archer M. Huntington a special fund
with a capital of $1,000,000 was set up to perpetuate his memory, to be
known as the Archer M. Huntington Fund. The income from this fund
was to be used for general operating purposes. This marked the first
time that the Society had received permission to attach Mr. Huntington's
name to part of the endowment which he had so generously given.
Mr. Huntington's ideals and visions live on in the Society because
he was so much a part of it for half of its existence. His connection
with its activities is perhaps expressed best in part of a letter which he
wrote barely five years before his death:
A moment ago I spoke of reward and of an indifference to it which has grown up
in my mind based on experiences into which I need enter no further. But to say that
I do not wish a reward from the Numismatic Society for what I have been able to
do in making the Society effective is not quite true. The reward I ask is the serious
interest and achievements of the members.
If my efforts in these lines meet with failure, then my beliefs and efforts in other
lines are failures and against any such criminal waste I must needs protest, even
against myself. If my effort to facilitate work does not accomplish the desired result
then I have done but little in the field.
1945-1958 37
It is along such lines that I have worked for my country in paths aside in some
measure from the obvious. And now that I draw near in a few days to the entrance
into my eightieth year, it is with such convictions that I hope I have lived in grati-
tude to the man who created my fortune, a man than whom I have known no one
of greater heart and mind. He said to me: 'Do what you like with your money but
do it well.' Perhaps that is why I built your building and you have my collection.62
Mr. Huntington lived to see some of the fruits of his labors, but the
foundations which he laid are strong enough to permit much more con-
structive effort. The Society which he aided and led cherishes his mem-
ory and is determined to fulfill the promise.
In the very same year that Archer M. Huntington died, Mrs. Agnes
Baldwin Brett, a former Curator and one whose life was intimately asso-
ciated with the history of the organization since 1908 also passed away.
The Annual Meeting of 1956 at which the resolutions passed in honor
of Mr. Huntington and Mrs. Brett were read was indeed a sad one. For
many years they had served the Society faithfully and aided in its
growth. Their loss would be deeply felt.
Now it was necessary that the pledge made by the Council in its
memorial to Archer M. Huntington that the members of the Society
would be faithful to the trust that was left with them be carried out.
The entire history of the organization brought a feeling of confidence
that it would be done. From a small group of men who had met in
1858 to form a new Society devoted to numismatics, a great museum
and institution of scholarship and learning renowned throughout the
world had developed. There had been moments of doubt such as the
period during the Civil War when the very life of the newborn society
was threatened. Interest seemed to be at the lowest point ever and all
meetings were cancelled, but a new beginning was made after the close
of hostilities. Never again did the Society seem so near extinction, though
it went through a succession of crises and difficulties. Its growth as an
institution of learning must be dated from the Presidency of Charles E.
Anthon, who stimulated a number of his colleagues in the academic
world and sponsored so many of the early attempts at placing the
organization on a firm basis. The first struggles concerning meeting
rooms, of course, proved to be indicative of the fate of the Society for
half of its existence. Try as they might, the members and Council were
20*
308 THE PEAK
unable to work the miracle of securing permanent quarters. As a result,
for over half of its existence, the organization was small and its collec-
tions of coins, medals, and library materials could not be ranked among
the great ones of the world. In 1905, however, all this changed as the
leadership of Archer M. Huntington achieved in a relatively short
time all that had been vainly attempted before by a succession of most
talented men. Shortly after Archer M. Huntington made the physical
situation of the Society better, fortune brought Edward T. Newell to
its aid to improve the collection and the scholarly works emanating from
the institution. Under these two men the home of the Society was ex-
panded and ambitious programs were instituted. This was the second
period to leave an indelible mark on the history of the organization.
The crowning effort, which served as a capstone to the past, was the
period after the close of World War II. The means and tradition to
accomplish great things were now available, and under the leadership
of a succession of capable men the Society expanded its field of interest
and labor. The fruits of all that had preceded it were reaped during
the last dozen years when the Society stood as a recognized institution
of learning, full of vigor, and with an expectant eye toward the future.
NOTES
Notes to The Origins
1 For all that follows on the general cultural revival and the part of New York in parti-
cular see, Merle Curti, The Growth of American Thought (New York and London, 1943), pp.
344-367; Vernon Louis Parrington, Main Currents in American Thought. An Interpretation of
American Literature From the Beginnings to 1920 (New York, 1930), Vol. II (The Romantic Revo-
lution in America); Van Wyck Brooks, The Flowering of New England 1815-1865 (New York,
1936); The World of Washington Irving (Cleveland and New York, 1944); and Arthur Charles
Cole, The Irrepressible Conflict 1850-1865 (New York, 1934), pp. 205-242, which is Vol. VII in
ed. Arthur M. Schlesinger and Dixon Ryan Fox, A History of American Life.
2 Edward Cogan in a letter to the editor printed in the American Journal of Numismatics,
March 1867, pp. 68-87, suggests the figure 300 as the upper limit for the number of collectors
at that time.
3 This story first appears in a letter from Edward Cogan to the editor printed in the Ameri-
can Journal of Numismatics, March 1887, pp. 86-87. It was retold in another letter from William
Ewing Dubois, Director of the Philadelphia Mint, printed in the American Journal of Numis-
matics, April 1871, p. 84, and various notices of Mickley's death mention it. See Proceedings
(March 19, 1878), pp. 3-4, and especially the lengthy obituary published in the American
Journal of Numismatics, April 1878, pp. 103-105 for accurate and detailed accounts of the
interesting life of this early collector. Also see Frederick M. Bird, "Recollections of Mr. Mickley,''
Proceedings (March 16, 1886), pp. 16-18.
4 Catalogue of the Numismatic Collection formed by Joseph J. Mickley, Esq., of Philadelphia. Now
the property of W. Elliot Woodward, of Roxbury, Mass.; To be sold by auction by Messrs. Leavitt,
Strebeigh & Co. (Roxbury, 1867), p. Ill, lot 1975. According to the annotated or priced copy
of that catalogue the coin was bought by C. Wyllys Betts for $32.00 and was far from the
most expensive cent in that sale, for one piece of 1793 brought $110. Lot 1973, the cent of
1798, which was the first coin in the Mickley Collection, sold for $3.50.
6 Cogan himself gives this description of his entry into the coin trade in a letter to the
editor printed in the American Journal of Numismatics, March 1867, pp. 86-87. See also the
309
310 NOTES to The Origins
"Historiographer's Report" in the Proceedings, (March 17, 1885), pp. 13-14. In the minutes of
May 20, 1884, the death of Edward Cogan was appropriately memorialized. An obituary
notice was published in the American Journal of Numismatics, July 1884, p. 23, and an unsigned
article on Edward Cogan entitled "The Father of the Coin Trade in America," appeared in
The Numismatist, XXIX, No. 6 (June 1916), pp. 267-268.
6 Neil Carothers, Fractional Money. A History of the Small Coins and Fractional Paper Currency
of the United States (New York, 1940), pp. 105-137. Cf. A. Barton Hepburn, A History of Cur-
rency in the United States With a Brief Description of the Currency Systems of All Commercial Nations
(New York, 1915), pp. 62-66.
7 These are, of course, the U.S. Large copper cents and half-cents with a stylized head of
Liberty on the obverse and a wreath or chain of links encircling the words "ONE CENT"
or "HALF CENT" on the reverse. There are several varieties of the representation of Liberty
during the period 1793-1857, but the main features of the type did not change. The principal
alteration in the obverse was introduced in 1808. See Wayte Raymond, The Standard Catalogue
of United States Coins from 1652 to the Present Day. (14th ed.: New York, 1950), pp. 28-44; R. S.
Yeoman, Lee F. Hewitt and Charles E. Green, Handbook of United States Coins (13th ed.:
Racine, Wisconsin, 1955), pp. 18-26; and R. S. Yeoman, A Guide Book of United States Coins
(9th ed.: Racine, Wisconsin, 1955), pp. 59-78.
8 W. Raymond, op. cit., p. 45; R.S. Yeoman, L. F. Hewitt and C. E. Green, op. cit., p. 27;
R.S. Yeoman, op. cit., p. 79.
9 For a fuller discussion of the laws of 1857 and 1859 see Carothers, Fractional Money, pp.
138-150; Hepburn, A History of Currency in the United States, pp. 66-70.
10 Edward Cogan in his letters to the editor of the American Journal of Numismatics, March,
1867, pp. 86-87 and April, 1867, pp. 95-96, argues very strongly for the belief that "the change
of the cent from copper to nickel in the years 1856 and 1857 was one of the principal causes
for the demand for coins. . . because from that time the demand was continually on the in-
crease up to the latter part of 1858."
11 Cf. Richard D. Kenney, "The Issues of Augustus B. Sage," The Coin Collectors Journal,
XV, No. 5 (Sept.-Oct. 1948), pp. 99-105; XVI, No. 2 (March-April 1949), pp. 30-31. Among
the many issues of Augustus B. Sage, including his store cards, is to be found a series of nine
portrait medals of Americans who were intimately associated with numismatics including
Charles I. Bushnell, Henry Bogert, Jeremiah Colburn, James R. Chilton, Winslow Lewis,
Frank Jaudon, William H. Chesley, Horatio N. Rust, and Robert J. Dodge.
12 Edward Groh, "A Rare Medal," Proceedings, (March 18, 1901), pp. 69-70, tells the story
of this medal. The minutes of the meeting of June 9, 1864, relate Sage's gift of the medal.
13 Charles I. Bushnell, who lived from 1826 to 1883, is known chiefly for his work, An
Arrangement of Tradesmen's Cards, Political Tokens, also, Election Medals, Medalets, &c. Current
in the United States of America for the Last Sixty Years, Described from the Originals, Chiefly in the
Collection of the Author. With Engravings. (New York, 1858). His collection was sold in 1882, and
the catalogue of that sale is still an important one.
14 An excellent picture of these early days of American efforts in numismatics is to be found
in a series of three articles by A(gustus) B. S(age), "Recollections of a Coin Collector,"
American Journal of Numismatics, Feb. 1867, pp. 76-77; March 1867, pp. 85-86; May 1867,
pp. 8-9.
16 A(ugustus) B. S(age), "Recollections of a Coin Collector," American Journal of Numis-
matics, Feb. 1867, pp. 76-77. Sage lists as present at that first meeting Messrs. Foskett,
Oliver, Groh, Fiske, Gibbs, English, Mayers, Boughton, Norton, Hill, and himself. He cites
NOTES to The Origins 31!
the officers elected as Dr. Isaac H. Gibbs, President, Frank H. Norton, Recording Secretary,
James O. Foskett, Librarian, Edward Groh, Curator, and Augustus B. Sage, Corresponding
Secretary. In this he erred because Fiske and Norton are recorded as becoming members on
May 11, 1858, while Mayers was elected to membership on July 13, 1858. According to the
minutes therefore these men could not have been present at the first meeting while Atkinson,
Melber, Vail and Whitmore are definitely recorded as having attended, but Sage omits them
completely. As a result Sage did not mention the election of Vail and Whitmore as Vice-
Presidents. In addition Sage cites Norton instead of Oliver as Recording Secretary and Fos-
kett as Librarian instead of Actuary while Edward Groh is given the office of Curator which did
not yet exist. William R. Weeks, History of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society with
Lists of Founders, Incorporators, Officers and Members (New York, 1892), p. 5, concedes the pri-
macy of the Numismatic Society of Philadelphia. He did, however, feel that these errors in the
account given by Sage could not "be mere chance differences, arising from defective memory
of the events and persons, but are clearly a recollection of a meeting, held at some time in the
year 1857, of which the Society has no written minutes, and which may have preceded the
organization in December, 1857, of the society at Philadelphia."
16 In response to inquiries from the Society, Edward Groh extracted the relevant portions
of his diary and included them in a letter to Mr. William Poillon. This letter, dated April 28,
1879, is in the archives of the American Numismatic Society, but it has never been published.
17 A facsimile of the invitation to Theophilus W. Lawrence is to be found in Weeks, op. cit.,
p.6.
18 In response to inquiries by the Society, Dr. Thomas Dunn English, about whom much
more will be said, offered this description of Vail in a letter which he sent to the Society in
March of 1879. All the evidence points to Vail having come to a very unfortunate end.
19 We can be certain that Alfred Boughten survived the war because on May 12, 1864, he
was once again nominated for membership in the revived Society by Dr. George H. Perine and
Edward Groh. Apparently he had permitted his connection with the group to lapse completely
during the war years. The death of Henry Whitmore was announced at the meeting of De-
cember 22, 1864. A(ugustus) B. S(age), "Recollections of a Coin Collector," American Journal
af Numismatics, March 1867, pp. 85-86, states Henry Whitemore (Whitmore) began collect-
ing in 1859, "and being a gentleman of wealth and cultivated taste, soon formed a very fine
collection. His taste ran mainly on fine bronze and silver medals, and the Greek and Roman
series." The death of James Oliver was announced on Jan. 19, 1891, after he had served the
Society in a number of important capacities. It should also be noted that Theophilus W.
Lawrence and William H. Morgan, who were added to the list of founders in 1879, are other-
wise unknown. After the receipt of Edward Groh's letter detailing the facts surrounding the
formation of the Society, Lawrence's name was added to the list. At a special meeting of the
Executive Committee of the Society on May 9, 1879, this letter was read, and "The Sect'y
moved that the date of the Founding of this Soc. be altered to Mch. 15, 1858, and the name
of T. W. Lawrence be added to the list of Founding Members. Mr. Wood (Isaac F. Wood, a
member of one of the leading publishing fiims in the city, William Wood & Co.) moved to
amend by leaving out the words "Mch. 15". On motion it was carried. The original motion
as amended was then adopted." It is very likely that a similar set of circumstances resulted in
the recognition of William H. Morgan as one of the founders though no record of it has been
recovered.
20 See the obituary notice concerning Dr. Asher D. Atkinson in The Numismatist, XXII,
No. 11 (November 1909), p. 310. In that notice he is said to have attended the "Friends'
312 NOTES to The Origins
School" in Philadelphia with his cousin, but in the biography of Thomas Dunn English it is
specifically noted that the poet attended the Friends' Academy at Burlington.
21 A manuscript autobiographical sketch exists in the New York Public Library. Other
references for works on English are cited in Dictionary of American Biography, VI, pp. 166-167.
The sketch in the DAB is the best short summary of the career of English and serves as the
source for most of the information given in the text.
22 Dr. Asher D. Atkinson's sister, who was therefore also a cousin of Thomas Dunn English,
notified the writer of the obituary notice of her brother in The Numismatist, XXII, No. 11
(November 1909), p. 310, that Atkinson's teacher had served as the "master so cruel and grim"
of "Ben Bolt."
23 The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, IV, pp. 322-323, contains a contemporary
account of the life of English and gives a detailed account of how the poem came to be used
in the drama. "In 1846 Charles Porter was managing the Pittsburg Theater. Among his com-
pany was a young man by the name of Nelson F. Kneass, a brother of the United States
district-attorney of Pennsylvania. Nelson had taken to a roving life, much to the chagrin of
his family. He had a fine tenor voice and some musical ability, but he was a very indifferent
actor. Porter told him if he could get up a song to suit himself he would cast him for a walking
part in the new drama, "The Battle of Buena Vista." An Englishman, by the name of Hunt, a
sort of hanger-on of the company, had read "Ben Bolt" when it had been copied in some Eng-
lish newspaper, remembered the greater part of it, and fixed up some words to fill the deficiency.
To this Kneass adapted a German air, and sang the song in the piece."
24 The later career of English is worthy of notice even though he does not appear to have
been an active member of the American Numismatic Society after the first month of its
establishment. In 1863-64 he was a member of the New Jersey legislature and in his
second term served as leader of the house. In 1870 he purchased an anti-Lincoln journal
which collapsed after a year. He was elected as a representative to Congress as a Democrat
in 1890 and served for two terms, from 1891-1895, but was defeated for re-election the third
time. On June 17, 1899, he died at a ripe old age with a great many poems and publications
to his credit. It has often been said that the attention and respect accorded to him in Congress
resulted from the success of the poem "Ben Bolt" as much as from any other source.
25 This is the date given in the obituary notice in the American Journal of Numismatics,
January 1905, p. 91, and it agrees with that in the obituary notice published in The Numis-
matist, XVIII, No. 1 (January 1905), p. 29, which states that he was sixty-seven years old at
his death. In the historiographer's report published in Proceedings (Jan. 16, 1905), p. 13, it is
stated that he was born in 1844.
26 Cf. the defense of electrotyping by A(ugustus) B. S(age), "Recollections of a Coin
Collector," American Journal of Numismatics, March 1867, pp. 85-86, who tells also of the story
of Groh's connection with this art.
27 For his services in preparing this first constitution Dr. English was made an honorary
member of the Society on January 20, 1896.
Notes to The Early Years, 1858-1864
1 Constitution and By-Laws of the American Numismatic Society adopted April 6th, 1858 (NewYork,
1858), Art. 1. A committee consisting of Sage, Foskett, and Vail, was appointed at a special
meeting on April 20, 1858 to superintend the printing of the document; and at the same meet-
NOTES to The Early Years 313
ing a vote of thanks was unanimously tendered to Dr. English "for the excellent manner in
which the Constitution and By-Laws were drawn up and engrossed by him."
"Ibid., art. 111.
3 For this two year period of the history of the Society it should be noted that all the con-
temporary sources are unpublished. The manuscript record of the minutes and the correspon-
dence which has survived the action of time in the archives of the American Numismatic
Society provide the sole sources for this period, except for some few letters from men who took
part in the early days of the Society and were contacted by mail during the investigation into
the origins of the Society in 1879. Edward Groh in an unpublished letter of April 28, 1879,
tells of the election of Dr. Gibbs and the fact that Dr. English received four votes, which is
confirmed by the minutes. Groh continued his remarks to explain the conduct of English and
wrote, "the disappointment I suppose took away all his interest in the Society and he called
no more." English himself, as noted above, had a different explanation for his conduct, as
given in a letter of March 25, 1879. In a letter of January 22, 1896, Dr. English accepted an
honorary membership in the Society and repeated his charges as the reason for his early
departure from its ranks. In that same letter, however, he noted that the Society was in 1896
in the hands of "Gentlemen of science and ability" and had "high standing among learned
associations."
4 William R. Weeks, History of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society with Lists of
Founders, Incorporators, Officers and Members (New York, 1892), p. 12, noted the fact that Dr.
Gibbs was at his own request allowed to retire.
6 Dodge remained President of the Society during the entire period of the Civil War when
it was a dormant organization, but on January 9, 1864, he was elected a corresponding member.
He had already been succeeded in the presidency on March 11th of that year. By March 28,
all trace of the whereabouts of Robert J. Dodge had been lost, and he was quietly dropped
from the roll of corresponding members. Attempts were made to locate Dodge in both 1878
and 1882 but to no avail. In an unpublished letter January 27, 1878, in the archives of the
Society, Frank H. Norton volunteered the information that he had known Dodge very well
and that Dodge "was a surveyor in this city, one engaged on local department work." In an-
other letter of April 2, 1882, also from Frank H. Norton, Dodge is decribed as having been
"an engineer in the city services," and it is suggested that he "might be heard from at the
Department of Public Works or Croton Water Board." Edward Groh noted in answer to an
inquiry addressed to him in 1882 that "Robert J. Dodge was President of our Society for a
year and probably resides in the city at present as I read his name in the papers once in
awhile in connection with some literary or scientific association." Letter from Edward Groh
to William Poillon, February 6, 1882.
* A brief description of the career of Frank H. Norton is to be found in The National Cy-
clopedia of American Biography, IX, p. 515.
7 Constitution and By-Laws of the American Numismatic Society, Adopted September 1858 (New
York, 1858).
8 Bramhall had become a member at the first semi-annual meeting. Very little is known
about him, but he was elected as a corresponding member in the revived Society on October
10, 1867, and died in 1902. He seems to have been an avid collector, and his collection of
business cards and tokens was one of the first extensive ones sold in this country. Catalogue
of a Valuable and Choice Collection of American qnd Foreign Coins, Medals and Tokens, Ancient and
Modem to be sold at Public Auction by Messrs. Ceo. A. Lovett & Co., March 26 and 27, 1860 (New
York, n.d.). Bramhall himself after the Civil Wrar was responsible for a small issue of medalets
314 NOTES to The Early Years
which he designed. He describes these pieces in a letter to the editor of the American Journal of
Numismatics, August 1867, pp. 40-41.
* Augustus B. Sage, "Recollections of a Coin Collector." American Journal of Numismatics,
May 1867, pp. 8-9, records these facts and notes that when he met Bramhall in Washington
in 1867, the latter mentioned that he suffered occasionally from his wounds. Sage himself
served as a colonel in the United States Army.
10 Letter of that date from Sage to Peter Cooper.
11 Letter from Peter Cooper to Augustus B. Sage, May 6, 1858.
12 Edward S. Cummings became a member of the Society on March 31, 1859, and on that
same day he made a significant contribution to the coin cabinet. Aside from this one instance
of serving on a committee to find suitable rooms he appears to have taken no further interest
in the Society.
11 Mortimer S. Brown was elected to membership on January 6, 1859, and only served on
this committee.
14 "Clinton Hall was the new name of the Astor Place Opera House, which had been pur-
chased and remodelled in 1854 by the Clinton Hall Association, an organization of merchants
established in 1828 to erect a buildingthe first Clinton Hallfor the Mercantile Library
(Moses King, edit., King's Handbook of New York City. Boston, 2nd edition, 1893: 328)." John
Kirkland Wright, Geography in the Making. The American Geographical Society 1851-1951 (New
York: The American Geographical Society, 1952), p. 42.
14 An unpublished copy of this petition which was evidently prepared in the period after
the Civil War exists in the archives of the American Numismatic Society. This copy was made
during the years when the Society was known as the American Numismatic and Archaeolo-
gical Society, 1864-1907.
19 That was clearly the intention of the Directors of Cooper Institute as shown by an un-
published letter dated September 17, 1859, from I. T. Hodge, assistant Secretary of Cooper
Institute to F. H. Norton. Cf. Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of the American Numis-
matic Society with an Historical Sketch (New York, 1915), p. 3.
17 William S. Frederick Mayers became a member of the Society on July 13, 1858, but he
had signed the original manuscript copy of the Constitution on June 27th of that year. At the
semi-annual meeting on November 3, 1858, he was elected Treasurer and he continued active
in the affairs of the Society until February 17, 1859. At that time he retired from the office of
Treasurer because of his imminent departure for Europe and was elected an honorary member.
Mayer's death was announced to the Society November 19, 1878. In the intervening years
he resided in China and fulfilled his function as a correspondent of the Society.
18 Benson J. Lossing wrote The Pictorial Book of the Civil War in the United States of America.
18 Letter from Benson J. Lossing to Augustus B. Sage, July 2, 1858.
80 New York Daily Tribune (Nov. 6, 1858); New York Times (Nov. 11, 1858). These are short
notes about the semi-annual meeting. There had been earlier ones as well because on
October 21, 1858, Mayers received a vote of thanks "for causing articles in relation to the
Society to be published in the public papers." See New York Daily Tribune (April 8, 1858), and
(April 15, 1858), for notices of the first two meetings of the Society.
21 Letters from J. Wm. Jacobs of South China, Maine, (Feb. 25, 1859) and Peleg Pease of
New Bedford, Mass., (Mar. 12, 1859) to Frank H. Norton.
22 Letter in the archives of the American Numismatic Society.
28 Ferdinand I. Ilsley, who was elected a resident member of the American Numismatic
Society on May 10, 1866, was one of the founders of this Essex County group. See the obituary
NOTES to The Early Years 315
notice included in the Historiographer's Report published in Proceedings (March 16, 1891),
p. 10.
'* William R. Weeks, History of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society with Lists of
Founders, Incorporates, Officers and Members (New York, 1892), p. 6.
** Letter fromjosiah Brewer to Frank H. Norton, January 11, 1859.
The New York Saturday Press (Feb. 12, 1859). Two unpublished letters (C. Atwater to
J. H. Lyman, Nov. 22, 1858, and J. H. Lyman to Frank H. Norton, Nov. 24, 1858) exist in
the archives of the American Numismatic Society. From these letters it is clear that the object
in the mind of Atwater was the sale of the cup at a substantial gain. The report of the committee
cannot have been overly pleasing to him.
27 The European societies were founded approximately a quarter of a century before the
first American group. The President's Address published in the Proceedings of the Numismatic
Society (in London, 1836-37), p. 5, indicates that the Society was newly founded and in the
Presidential Address of the next year (Proceedings of the Numismatic Society, 1837-38), p. 4, a
reference is made to the formation of the Society "less than two years" earlier. The European
journals of numismatics appear to have begun publication slightly more than a quarter of a
century before the start of the American Journal of Numismatics in 1866. The Revue Numismatique
first appeared in 1836, the Numismatic Chronicle in the same year, and the Revue de la Numisma-
iique Beige in 1845.
88 A draft of the letter exists in the archives of the American Numismatic Society.
29 Unpublished letter in the archives of the American Numismatic Society. Hickox also
wrote "The History of American Coinage," Banker's Magazine and Statistical Register, XI (Nov.
1861), pp. 322-337, and A History of the Bills of Credit or Paper Money Issued by New York from
1709 to 1789 with a Description of the Bills and Catalogue of the Various Issues (Albany, 1866).
Hickox at the time was a resident of Albany, but he must have later moved to Washington.
In 1882 he was apparently arrested for the crime "of opening mail letters and pocketing the
money," and W. L. Bramhall, who was then a Corresponding Member residing in Washington,
notified the Society in answer to a query on the subject, that Hickox admitted his guilt. Letter
from William L. Bramhall to William Poillon, February 24, 1882. In consequence the Exe-
cutive Committee requested his ouster from the Society, and his name was dropped from
the rolls. Proceedings (March 28, 1882), p. 5. It is known that in 1878 John H. Hickox was
connected with the Office of Copyrights in the Library of Congress.
80 Letter from Augustus B. Sage to Benson J. Lossing, July 9, 1858.
81 A letter from David M. Balfour to F. H. Norton, November 11, 1858, records the do-
nation of a pine tree shilling of 1652, a Massachusetts "copper" and a "half-copper" of 1788,
and a Connecticut "copper" of 1785. Another letter from Balfour to the Society, November 16,
1858, records a further donation of a United States chain or link pattern cent of 1787, another
pine tree shilling of Massachusetts of 1652, a Massachusetts "copper" and "half-copper" of
1787, and a Connecticut "copper" of the same date.
32 An unpublished letter in the archives of the Society, of Charles Endicott to Augustus
B. Sage, October 19, 1858, records Endicott's acceptance of a corresponding membership.
33 Letter from the Reverend J. Tellier, SJ, to the Society, April 8, 1859.
84 A note in the minute books at this point records:
A lapse in the meetings of the Society now occurs, caused mainly by the difficulty of
obtaining a room, the one offered to the Society by the Cooper Inst. not being suitable.
The political troubles and the rebellion, tended also to disturb the operations of the
Society, so much so that several attempts to hold meetings failed, a quorum could not be
316 NOTES to Rebirth and Growth
assembled, and it was not until the time recorded in the following pages that the
Society was revived under a new title.
(Signed) Jas. Oliver
Rec. Sec'y
Notes to Rebirth and Growth, 1864-1873
1 "Numismatics and Numismatic Societies," American Journal of Numismatics, (May 1867),
p. 3.
2 Mortimer S. Brown was elected a member on January 6, 1859, and served on the com-
mittee to find a room in May of the same year. Isaac John Greenwood, Jr., was elected to
membership on January 12, 1859, and was later in 1864, to serve as 2nd Vice President. His
services to the Society continued to be numerous, and in 1907 he was named a patron of the
Society. Two short biographical sketches of Greenwood are found in ed. Lyman Horace
Weeks, Prominent Families of Mew York (New York, 1898), p. 246, and Leslie's History of the
Greater New York, (New York, n. d.), Ill, p. 574. The By-Laws adopted in September 1858
stated that the presence of five members would constitute a quorum.
3 Proceedings (March 18, 1895), published in The American Numismatic and Archaeological
Society of New York City. Proceedings and Papers. Thirty-sixth, seventh and eighth Annual Meetings.
1894-1895-1896, pp. 52-3, which is the obituary notice in the historiographer's report sub-
mitted by William Poillon.
4 Cf. Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society with an
Historical Sketch (New York, 1915), p. 4. The minutes do not always record where a meeting
took place nor the reasons for a change. Also see William R. Weeks, History of The American
Numismatic and Archaeological Society (Formerly Known as the American Numismatic Society), with
Lists of Founders, Incorporatos. Officers, and Members (New York, 1892), pp. 10-11.
6 In the election of March 11, 1864, Frank H. Norton was named as President, Dr. George
H. Perine, Vice-President, James Oliver, Recording Secretary, F. A. Wood, Corresponding
Secretary, John Hanna, Treasurer, and Edward Groh, Curator and Librarian. Thus three
new members and three old members held office.
4 Both committees consisted of President Norton, John Hanna and F. A. Wood.
7 The Committee on the seal was composed of Wood, Oliver, and Dr. Perine.
8 Constitution and By-Laws of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society Founded 1857
(New York, 1864).
8 Articles of Incorporation, Constitution and By-Laws of the American Numismatic and Archaeological
Society Founded 1857.Incorporated 1865. (New York, 1865).
10 The committee consisted of J. F. Me. Coy, R. Hewitt, Jr., and E. Groh.
See the published minutes of the special meeting of July 16, 1867, in the American Journal of
Numismatics, November 1867, p. 66.
11 Published minutes of the regular meeting of October 10, 1867, in the American Journal of
Numismatics, November 1867, p. 66.
12 The results of this trip abroad were published in A Pilgrimage to Treves, through the Valley
of the Meuse and the Forest of Ardennes in the Year 1844 (1845). He also published several other
books and numerous articles during his life.
13 Obituaries for Professor Anthon appeared in the American Journal of Numismatics, July
1883, pp. 22-23; New York Times (June 9, 1883); and New York Tribune of the same date.
NOTES to Rebirth and Growth 317
14 The Anthon Collection was sold at five separate sales between 1879 and 1884 by Bangs
& Co. Pt. I (Nov. 17-18, 1879); Pt. II (Nov. 15, 1880); Pt. Ill (Nov. 9, 1882); Pt. IV (May 5,
1884); Pt. V (Oct. 20, 1884). During his life Professor Anthon disposed of his modern and
mediaeval European coinage in the first three sales but it was only after his death in 1883 that
the ancient and American coins were sold.
ls Cf. William R. Weeks, History of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, pp. 12-13.
Compare the account given by Weeks with the published minutes of the meetings of April 25,
and May 9, 1867, in the American Journal of Numismatics (May-June 1867), pp. 6-7, and 18.
The all too brief account of Professor Charles E. Anthon's career given above may be supple-
mented by referring to the obituary in the American Journal of Numismatics (July 1883), pp.
22-23 and the DAB, I, p. 314.
18 The text of that resolution can be found in the American Journal of Numismatics (February
1868), pp. 94-5.
17 In 1866 the name of the college was changed from the New York Free Academy to Col-
lege of the City of New York, and the medal was issued to commemorate the event. I.Q,.,
"The Commemoration Medal of the College of the City of New York," American Journal of
Numismatics (October 1867), pp. 57-9.
18 William R. Weeks, History of The American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, p. 9, says
that the seal was designed by "Dr. Anthon." Unfortunately there is no contemporary evidence
to prove this conclusively.
18 Ibid., p. 9, describes these fleur de lis as a circle of stars.
20 George H. Lovett became a member of the Society on December 23, 1867, and it is
therefore quite proper to surmise that his interest was aroused by the task of cutting the cor-
porate seal and that as a result he became a member and finally donated the seal.
21 "Parva Ne Pereant," American Journal of Numismatics, January 1879, p. 68.
22 Constitution and By-Laws of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, By-Laws, chap.
IV, sect. 2 (p. 11).
23 The committee consisted of Wood, Hanna and Leathe.
"Letter from the Department of the Secretary of State of New York to Wood, December 7,
1864.
26 Letter from Joseph K. Murray to F. A. Wood, January 26, 1865. Murray says in part,
"But there appears to have been no society incorporated under the laws of this State up to the
20th inst. with which you need fear confusion from even a similarity of title, at least if the
word 'Numismatic' is to precede 'Archaeological' in yours." It would seem as though an
earlier archaeological society must have been incorporated.
28 At the elections of March 11, 1864, Groh had apparently been elected to both posts si-
multaneously even though this was irregular.
27 Frank Leathe was one of the members elected on June 8, 1864. He had been very active
in the affairs of the Society in the intervening eight months.
28 A letter from Joseph K. Murray to Wood, April 4, 1865, shows that Wood was the man
in contact with the attorney.
29 Articles of Incorporation, Constitution and By-Laws of the American Numismatic and Archaeological
Society Founded 1857Incorporated 1865 (New York, 1865). This document contains the only
copy of the original seal of the Society. Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of the Ameri-
can Numismatic Society with an Historical Sketch, pp. 4-6, reproduces these documents, as does
William R. Weeks, History of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, (Formerly known as
the American Numismatic Society), with Lists of Founders, Incorporators, Officers and Members, pp. 25-26.
318 NOTES to Rebirth and Growth
80 Letter from Henry Champion to F. Augustus Wood, April 20, 1864.
81 This is quite evident from the contents of a letter from Henry Champion to F. Augustus
Wood, April 30, 1864. It is interesting to note that among the members of the Executive Com-
mittee of the New Haven Numismatic Society at that date was C. Wyllys Betts, who was elected
a corresponding member of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society in 1868,
and became a resident member in 1885. In 1864 Betts was a student at Yale and just in his late
teens or early twenties. He graduated from Yale in 1867 and later entered Columbia College
Law School. This was very much in the tradition of his family, for he was one of the two sons
of Frederick J. Betts, a prominent lawyer of means who lived at Newburgh on the Hudson.
After graduation from Columbia College Law School, C. Wyllys Betts joined his brother's law
firm, Whitney and Betts. In later life he was connected with the firm of Betts, Atterbury &
Betts. Unfortunately he died at the very young age of forty-two after a week's siege of pneu-
monia. During his life he had contributed occasionally to numismatic literature and he had
amassed a fine collection which he left to Yale College. At the special meeting of May 3,
1887, the members of the Society passed a resolution expressing their sympathy to his family
upon his demise. The historiographer's report for ihe year 1888 contains a short obituary
notice concerning C. Wyllys Betts. Proceedings (March 20, 1888), p. 14.
82 Letter from Henry Champion to F. Augustus Wood, May 18, 1864. Wood acknowledged
the receipt of this medal in a letter to Henry Champion, May 20, 1864.
88 The unpublished minutes of the New York Numismatic Society record that John F.
McCoy, Hewitt, Levick, Strobridge, Earle, Watson, Edwards, Hall, Nexsen, Norton, and
Burns were present.
31 The minutes of the New York Numismatic Society reveal that as early as the meeting of
February 20, 1864, Lovett and another gentleman, Lilliendahl, had made known their in-
tention to contribute to the Society.
36 Cf. William R. Weeks, History of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, (Former-
ly Known as the American Numismatic Society), with Lists of Founders, Incorporators, Officers and Mem-
bers, pp. 8-9.
36 This document is reproduced in full from the minute books of the Society by William R.
Weeks, op. cit., p. 9.
37 Published minutes of the meeting of ihe American Numismatic and Archaeloogical
Society on October 25, 1866, in The American Journal of Numismatics, Ociober 1866, p. 50.
88 A note to this effect attesting to ihe completion of this task signed by Isaac F. Wood
(formerly F. Augustus Wood) for William Poillon, the Librarian of the Society, dated August
1875, was inserted on the front page of the minute book of the New York Numismatic Society.
39 This resolution is printed in the American Journal of Numismatics, May 1866, p. 5, as part of
a campaign to distribute the medals to the public. It is also reprinted in William R. Weeks,
History of The American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, (Formerly known as the American
Numismatic Society), with Lists of Founders, Incorporators, Officers and Members, p. 6. At the meeting
of June 22nd it was decided to have ihe resolution engrossed and forwarded to Mrs. Lincoln
at a cost not exceeding ten dollars.
40 William R. Weeks, op, cit., pp. 16-24, presents a documentary history of the Lincoln
medal which has been largely followed.
41 Letter from F. Augustus Wood to Bishop Wood, May 12, 1865, published in ibid. p. 17.
This letter exists in the archives of the Society.
42 Unpublished letter, extracts of which are preserved in the archives of the Society, from
E. H. Coates (May 17, 1865).
NOTES to Rebirth and Growth 319
4 The advertisement read:
FINE ARTS
A Lincoln Medal
The American Numismatic and Archaeological Society have in preparation a bronze
medal designed to commemorate the life and perpetuate the name of Abraham Lincoln.
It will be three inches in diameter, and will bear on the obverse a bust of the late President
and on the reverse an inscription. Subscriptions will be received by the Secretary of the
Society, whose direction can be found at the Society Library Building. The names of the
subscribers that have not already been printed will be found in another part of this paper.
The list is still open at our counter.
This advertisement is reproduced in William R. Weeks, op. at., p. 17.
44 Letters from Lewis S. Hayden of the Office of Indian Affairs in Washington which quotes
the advertisement, May 19, 1865, and from Chauncey K. Williams of Rutland, Vt., to
F. Augustus Wood, May 20, 1865.
45 Letter from F. Augustus Wood to Lewis S. Hayden, May 29, 1865. This letter is clearly
in answer to the one from Hayden cited in the previous footnote.
46 The only evidence that such a competitive examination of the works of the various en-
gravers was held lies in the report in the American Journal of Numismatics, (May 1866), p. 5.
Cf. William R. Weeks, op. cit., pp. 17-18.
47 Emil Sigel advertised in the first few issues of the American Journal of Numismatics. His
advertisement read: "Engraving and Chasing in all its Branches, Dies for Medals, Jewelry,
Silverware, &c. Seals, Seal Presses, Stamps, Letters. Designs and Models for Castings. Por-
traits, Figures, Ornaments. Emil Sigel, Designer and Modeller, 195 Broadway, cor. Dey St.,
N.Y."
48 Cf. William R. Weeks, op. cit., p. 17.
49 The Boston Gazette (May 21, 1865), New York Herald (May 19, 1865), and the New York
Commercial Advertiser (May 29, 1865) contained notices of the fact that the medal was to be
struck by the Society. The Chicago Tribune (June 26, 1865) also gave a description of the pro-
posed medal and instructed the public how to become subscribers. The New York Evening Post
(July 18, 1865), the New York Times (July 14, 1865), and the New York Herald (July 19, 1865)
contained notices of the last meeting of that Spring, and, of course, there was a good deal of
information included concerning the medal. The Boston Gazette (July 23, 1865) included a
description of the medal.
60 Of course some of this publicity stemmed directly from the wide circulation of some of
the very famous New York newspapers of the time. Thus a letter from Chauncey K. Williams
of Rutland, Vt. to F. Augustus Wood, May 20, 1865 asking particular questions regarding
the medal refers to the notice in the New York Herald of May 19th.
41 Letter from William Barber to F. Augustus Wood, August 26, 1865.
62 William R. Weeks, History of The American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, p. 18,
speaks of Barber as an engraver "who has since attained prominence as a medallist." The
obituary notice for William Barber indicates that he had produced over forty medals, both
public and private. American Journal of Numismatics, October 1879, pp. 55-6. Also see L. Forrer,
Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Coin-, Gem-, and Seal-Engravers, and Mint-Masters &c. Ancient
and Modern with References to their Works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900 (London, 1904), I, pp. 122-3;
J. F. Loubat, The Medallic History of the United States of America 1776-1876 (New York, 1880),
I, pp. 29, 418-9, 434; and George G. Evans, Illustrated History of the United States Mint (Phila-
delphia, 1893), pp. 127-8. Barber served as fifth engraver of the Mint.
32O NOTES to Rebirth and Growth
53 Letter from George T. Paine to F. Augustus Wood, August 30, 1865. In this letter Paine
says of Barber, "His powers are of a very high order and his reputation with us numismatists
here is very high." The Numismatic Association had been preparing to issue a medal of Roger
Williams and by common consent Barber was given preference.
M Letter from F. Augustus Wood to George T. Paine, August 31, 1865. Cf. another letter
from F. Augustus Wood to William Barber, August 31, 1865.
"Letter from John Hanna to F. Augustus Wood, September 2, 1865.
"Unpublished letter in the archives of the Society.
"The letter which no longer exists, is quoted in part by William R. Weeks, op. cit., p. 18.
68 New York World (Feb. 10, 1866); New York Herald (Feb. 10, 1866); New York Evening Post
(Feb. 10, 1866).
M New York Herald (February 12, 1866).
60 A letter from F. Augustus Wood to C. K. Williams, June 22, 1865, contains the remark
"the woodcut is so poorly executed that it only gives a general idea of the design; it was a
mistake to have it printed in bronze color." A letter from D. Fitzgerald of Rhode Island to
F. Augustus Wood, June 28, 1865, says, "I have placed the subscription list for your Lincoln
medal in the hands of one of our Booksellers, Mr. Sidney L. Rider & Bro. But I am afraid they
will not be able to procure many subscriptions, owing to the wood cut being such a poor
likeness & not having a copy of the medal to show."
61 Letter in the archives of the Society, also quoted in part in William R. Weeks, op. cit.,
p. 19.
62 Letter in the archives of the Society quoted in part by Weeks.
68 Letter in the archives of the Society quoted in part by Weeks.
64 American Journal of Numismatics, May 1866, p. 5.
66 American Journal of Numismatics, May 1866, p. 5. Of course it should be noted that at that
date the American Journal of Numismatics was being issued by the Society, but anyone who has
seen the medal will be forced to agree with the comment.
86 William R. Weeks, op. cit., p. 20.
"That one was sent to the London firm is mentioned in the American Journal of Numismatics,
June 1866, p. 10, while the minutes of June 14th record the shipment of a medal to Applegate.
It was probably Applegate to whom a notice from a San Francisco newspaper referred, and
which was reprinted in the American Journal of Numismatics, July 1866, p. 22, and read, "A
gentleman of this city, well-known in Numismatic circles, has received a subscription list to
the "Lincoln Medal," issued by the American Numismatic Society of New York. The medal is
struck in bronze, three inches in diameter, and has an excellent picture of our late President.
All who are curious and desire to obtain one of these mementoes, can find the subscription-
list at Scott & Glover's stock brokers, Montgomery Street, near Pine." He was probably the
same Applegate who was elected a corresponding member on June 14, 1866, and whose
obituary was published in the Historiographer's report in Proceedings (March 21, 1898),
p. 13.
*8 American Journal of Numismatics, November 1866, p. 50. These minutes are erroneously
dated as October 25th, in the printed version.
American Journal of Numismatics, October 1866, p. 42: "We have received from Messrs.
J. S. & A. B. Wyon, of 287 Regent Street and 2 Langham Chambers, London, W., a circular
announcing their purchase of Mr. C. J. Hill's invention for making reduced copies of Bas-
Reliefs for medal and coin dies and seal, &c., in steel, gold, silver, ivory and other materials,
and either in relief or intaglio. The firm announce that they are now ready to execute work
NOTES to Rebirth and Growth 321
in this department, and as this is the only invention by which the delicacy and finish of a
pattern can be fully equalled in a reduced copy, they will doubtless be liberally patronized."
J. S. and A. B. Wyon were Medallists and Chief Engraver of Seals, to Her Majesty the Queen,
and their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. On the Wyon family see Leonard
Forrer, The Wyons (London: Spink & Son, Ltd., 1917).
70 Letter from Stevens to Wood, September 5, 1866, quoted in part by Weeks, op. cit., p. 21.
This was apparently the source for the statement in the American Journal of Numismatics because
the final paragraph of the letter is a request for assistance in publicizing the invention in
America.
71 Published minutes of the meeting of November 8, 1866 in American Journal of Numismatics,
December 1866, p. 59.
72 Letter in the archives of the Society also quoted by Weeks, op. cit., p. 21.
73 The published minutes of the meeting of the Society on December 13, 1866, are erroneous-
ly dated as December 12th. American Journal of Numismatics, January 1867, p. 66.
74 Published minutes of that meeting in American Journal of Numismatics, January 1867, p. 66.
76 See R. W. G. Vail, Knickerbocker Birthday A Sesqui-Centennial History of The New-York
Historical Society 1804-1954 (New York, 1954), pp. 148, 218, and 350. For more information
regarding Parish see the obituary notice published in the New York Times (December 18, 1914).
76 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society with an
Historical Sketch, p. 27.
77 Published minutes of the meeting of March 14, 1867, in American Journal of Numismatics,
April 1867, p. 90.
78 The Annual Meeting of March 28th was actually deferred until the next day, and it was
at that meeting that this action was taken. See the published minutes of the Annual Meeting
of 1867 in American Journal of Numismatics, April 1867, p. 90.
79 The text of this resolution is in the printed minutes for the meeting of December 12,
1867, in American Journal of Numismatics, January 1868, p. 83. On January 16th the committee
was empowered to act "as in their judgement should be for the best interest of the Society."
80 Letter in the archives of the Society. It is also reproduced by William R. Weeks, op. cit.,
p. 22.
81 The text of this agreement is to be found printed in Weeks, op. cit., p. 23, and in the
published minutes of the meeting of February 13, 1868, in American Journal of Numismatics,
March 1868, p. 100.
82 It is suggested that the idea for the American Journal of Numismatics may have arisen as a
result of a small publication called "Norton's Literary Letter," which was conducted by
Frank H. Norton. Some four or five issues of this "Literary Letter" had appeared at intervals
in the preceding years, and occasionally there were articles on numismatic subjects, but since
that publication had been discontinued sometime before Levick's proposal and was never
mentioned in the course of the discussions regarding the Journal, the new publication was con-
ceived independently. Cf. American Journal of Archaeology, April 1907, pp. 105-106.
83 Joseph N. T. Levick, "Reminiscences of Coin-Collecting." American Journal of Numis-
matics, November 1868, pp. 55-56.
84 Joseph N. T. Levick, "Reminiscences of Coin-Collecting.-Continued," American Journal
of Numismatics, December 1868, p. 63.
86 "Numismatic Journalism as a Fine Art," American Journal of Numismatics, March 1867,
p. 81. This same subject had been discussed at the meeting of February 28th, and the minutes
of that meeting were published in the same issue of the Journal. In the issue of May 1867 there
21
322 NOTES to Rebirth and Growth
was an insert soliciting subscriptions to make the journal self-sustaining and pledging to devote
"any pecuniary surplus that may occur to the further improvement, and the Pictorial Illu-
tration, of the Journal."
88 The wording of these two resolutions is to be found in the Salutatory for the second year
of issue. American Journal of Numismatics, May 1867, p. 1.
87 See the previous note. Norton evidently referred to the fact that he was a member of the
original committee to establish the Journal appointed on March 8, 1865, when he spoke of
refusing to serve for a second year.
88 See the published minutes of the meeting of April llth, 1867, in American Journal of
Numismatics, May 1867, p. 6.
89 Both terms appear to be used interchangeably in the record.
90 Professor Anthon had been elected Corresponding Secretary at the meeting of March 29,
1867, and he had been appointed to the Editorial Committee at that same meeting. On April
11 th, as we have seen, that appointment was confirmed by election.
91 American Journal of Numismatics, May 1867, pp. 6-7.
98 Published minutes of the meeting of May 9, 1867, in the American Journal of Numismatics
June 1867, p. 18.
83 Published minutes of the meeting of May 20, 1867, of the Rhode Island Numismatic
Association in American Journal of Numismatics, June 1867, pp. 20-21, contains a statement by
Paine, a member of that Association, urging the continued support of this worthy endeavor.
94 "To Subscribers and Numismatists," American Journal of Numismatics, April 1868, pp.
105-106.
96 Published minutes of the meeting of March 26, 1868, in American Journal of Numismatics,
April 1868, p. 109.
96 Published minutes of the meeting of April 23, 1868, in American Journal of Numismatics,
May 1868, p. 4.
97 Published minutes of the meeting of October 8, 1868, in American Journal of Numismatics,
November 1868, p. 53. In an editorial at the beginning of 1869, it was pointed out that the
subscription list had failed to grow appreciably during the year before, and that negotiations
were then in progress to achieve this rotation of the task of editing and publishing. American
Journal of Numismatics, January 1869, p. 65.
98 Published minutes of the Annual Meeting on March 24, 1870, in American Journal of
Numismatics, April 1870, p. 97.
99 Published minutes of the meeting of April 8, 1869 in American Journal of Numismatics,
May 1869, p. 5. Announcements to this effect were made in a flyleaf attached to the issues
of the Journal of April and May of that year, and interestingly enough this announcement was
signed by Anthon, Levick, and Wood as the Editorial Committee. This is surprising for there
is no mention in the minutes of Wood having ever been appointed to that committee prior to
the meeting of April 8th. The April issue probably appeared before action could be taken on
any of the resolutions passed during the April meetings because it still retains the older title
for the Journal. Wood was put on the Editorial Committee, on the motion of Daniel Parish,
at the meeting of April 8th. This announcement was certainly printed after the meeting of
April 8th and bound in with the April issue. We can thus infer that even though the
issues were scheduled to appear on the first of each month in actual fact they appeared much
later.
100 On Lyman H. Low see "Numismatic HeadlightsNo. I," The Numismatist, IV (1892),
pp. 1-2. Also see the following note.
NOTES to Rebirth and Growth 323
101 A short, and rather incomplete, history of the American Journal of Numismatics, was
published as an editorial at the time that the Boston Society yielded its control of the publi-
cation. "The Journal of Numismatics-Reminiscent," American Journal of Numismatics, April
1907, pp. 105-108.
102 Letter from the Executive Committee for the Metropolitan Fair for the U. S. Sanitary
Commission to the American Numismatic Society, February 12, 1864.
103 Letter from Charles Tracey, Chairman of the Committee on Association to F. Augustus
Wood, March 22, 1864.
104 The value of the piece is mentioned in a letter from Midshipman Walter Trumbull to
F. Augustus Wood, May 13, 1864. Trumbull had been recommended as a candidate for
membership in the Society by Col. A. B. Eaton U. S. A., in a letter to Wood, March 19, 1864.
Apparently the Society extended an offer of membership to him, but on April 2nd he answered
in a letter addressed from the Naval Academy that since his position precluded his taking an
"active interest" in numismatics he would prefer a corresponding membership. That was
granted to him on April 24th.
10 Letter from Wood to William W. Murphy, May 18, 1864. Trumbull in his letter to
Wood on May 13th indicated that the gold quarter dollar was the smallest gold coin that he
had ever seen, and said that he would be in New York during the first week in June. If the
piece was still unsold at that time he would bid for it.
104 Letter from Murphy to Wood, July 19, 1864.
107 Letter from Wood to Murphy, November 14, 1864.
108 pnis letter was published under the caption "Our National Coinage at the Paris Ex-
position" in the American Journal of Numismatics, January 1867, p. 69.
109 A measure of the success of this enterprise may be had by recalling the resolutions
passed by the faculty of the City College of New York in January of 1868, calling for a unifi-
cation of the coinages of Great Britain, France, and the United States.
110 This letter was published following that sent by Ruggles in the American Journal of
Numismatics, January 1867, pp. 69-70.
111 Statement made on January 24, 1867, and reported in the American Journc.] of Numis-
matics, February 1867, pp. 75-76.
113 Letter from Dr. Charles Clay, President of the Manchester Numismatic Society to the
President and Members of the New York Numismatic Society (sic), August 20, 1866 in mi-
nutes of meeting of February 28, 1867, in American Journal of Numismatics, March 1867, p. 82.
118 Published minutes in American Journal of Numismatics, April 1867, p. 90.
114 Wood's report is published in the minutes of the Annual Meeting in American Journal of
Numismatics, April 1870, p. 98.
116 Published minutes of the Annual Meeting of March 24, 1870, in American Journal of Nu-
mismatics, April 1870, p. 98.
116 F. Augustus Wood had by this point in his career changed his name to Isaac F. Wood.
Anthon's letter to Wood, May 28, 1872.
117 The recor(l of the Annual Meeting of March 27, 1870, is published in American Journal
of Numismatics, April 1870, pp. 97-98. The proceedings of the Society at its Annual Meetings
were not published again until 1878.
118 His principal interests were John Law medals and Admiral Vernon medals, but he also
wrote on the American Fur Company's Indian medals, local New York tokens, Mexican im-
perial coinage, and Spanish-American War Proclamation pieces. See the index of the American
Journal of Numismatics, LI (1917), s.v. Betts, Benjamin.
21*
324 NOTES to Progress and Conflict
111 A short obituary containing some misinformation regarding him was published in The
Numismatist, XXI (1908), p. 355.
120 Unpublished letter in the archives of the Society from Isaac F. Wood to the Society
(May 5, 1892).
Notes to Progress and Conflict, 1873-1883
1 Letter in the archives of the Society from A. C. Zabriskie to William Poillon, May 21,
1874. Zabriskie refers to a notice in the Evening Post and requests that his name be proposed
for membership.
2 Letters from Edward Cogan to William Poillon, June 25, 1874 and from George Hodgsdon
to William Poillon, October 30, 1874.
3 Letter from Dr. George H. Perine to William Poillon, January 23, 1875. This resignation
was read and accepted by the Executive Committee on May 27th. Poillon, whose task it was
to notify Perine, wrote a letter accepting the resignation, but he omitted the usual phrase indi-
cating that the Executive Committee had done so "with regret." In a postscript to the letter,
however, Poillon states. "As I cannot find any memoranda of the above notification among
my papers I am in doubts whether I forwarded it. If I did not please pardon the oversight."
Letter from William Poillon to Dr. George H. Ferine, November 23, 1875.
* Letter from Professor Charles E. Anthon to Wood, February 6, 1875.
* The members of the committee were Wood, Poillon, Hewitt, Parish, and MacKenzie.
Wood, Poillon and Parish held offices in the Society at the time.
6 Articles of Incorporation; Constitution and By-Laws of the American Numismatic and Archaeological
Society (New York, 1878), p. 9. Of course this is the emended form of the Constitution of 1874,
but it is possible to deduce a good deal regarding the original form of the document.
7 For short biographies of Frederick J. De Peyster see Proceedings (January 15, 1906), p. 16;
Leslie's History of the Greater New York. Encyclopedia of New York Biography andGenealogy (New York,
n. d.) Ill, pp. 42-3. Some hint of the activity of this family in another society may be had by
referring to the index, s.v. De Peyster in R. W. G. Vail, Knickerbocker Birthday. A Sesqid-Cen-
termial History of the New-York Historical Society, 1804-1954 (New York, 1954).
8 John Kirkland Wright, Geography in the Making. The American Geographical Society, 1851-1951
(New York, 1952), pp. 92ff.
* Letter from George C. Athole to William Poillon, June 9, 1879. Reverend Athole became
a resident member on January 21, 1879. This appears to have been his only committee ap-
pointment while in the Society. He died on October 2, 1884, and obituary notices appeared
in the New York Times (Oct. 4, 1884) and in Proceedings (March 17, 1885), p. 17. At his death
he was Rector of the Church of the Holy Innocents at 136th Street in Harlem.
10 Letter from A. B. Mott to William Poillon, June 12, 1879.
11 Only six of these letters to William Poillon are extant in the archives of the Society:
Richard Hoe Lawrence, June 17, 1879; George C. Athole, June 18, 1879; Daniel Parish, Jr.,
June 19, 1879; William B. Wetmore, June 19, 1879; L. F. Montanye, June 20, 1879; and
Charles H. Wright, June 22, 1879. In addition the Secretary mentioned a letter of Charles
Pryer in support of the change.
l2 The correspondence relating to Robert Downing in the archives of the Society, consists
of a letter from R. Clarke & Co. to Isaac F. Wood, August 19, 1877 and a letter from Brad-
NOTES to Progress and Conflict 325
street & Son to Wood, April 28, 1877. A note from Levick of the same year admits that Down-
ing was sponsored by him.
13 On the medal see Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic
Society with an Historical Sketch (New York, 1915), pp. 20-21.
14 The Executive Committee minutes of March 8, 1877, show that Poillon paid 88 54 for
postage and printing of notices for a meeting, as well as $6.60 to the referee and assignee in
bankruptcy for the recovery of the membership plate. It seems almost self-evident that the
Poillon Fluid, which is first mentioned in that year and was valued at 815.14, was nothing
more than the donation of these bills to the Society. This, however, cannot be proven.
16 Letter from J. Oliver to the Executive Committee, March 1, 1878.
16 Letter from Isaac F. Wood to William Poillon, March 20, 1883.
17 Letter in the archives of the Society.
18 A letter from Benjamin Betts to William Poillon, March 19, 1878, describes the inscription.
19 William R. Weeks, History of the American Numismatic and Archaeological Society, (Formerly
Known as the American Numismatic Society), with Lists of Founders, Incorporates, Officers, and Mem-
bers (New York, 1892), p. 13.
20 Letter from William Poillon to William S. Appleton, December 30, 1878. Appleton's
answer of January 17, 1879, is also extant.
21 Letter from William Poillon to Henry Phillips, Jr., February 22, 1879.
"Visitor's Guide and History of the United States Mint, Philadelphia, Pa. (Philadelphia, 1885),
p. 32.
28 Letter from Henry Phillips to William Poillon, March 10, 1879. Another letter from
Poillon to Henry Phillips, Jr., March 11, 1879, mentions the fact that numismatic societies were
by law entitled to procure pieces from the Mint at the price or value of the metal.
24 New York Times (April 20, 1880); unpublished letter in the archives of the Society from
Andrew C. Zabriskie to the Senate and House of Representatives. (No date).
25 Letter from Gaston L. Feuardent to the Society, April 20, 1880.
29 For a short biography of Commander Henry H. Gorringe see The Dictionary of American
Biography, VII, p. 437. Also see New York Evening Post (March 21, 1883). Both the New York
Herald and the New York Times (January 16, 1881) contain full descriptions of a visit by the
Society to Commander Gorringe's rooms. Gorringe's election to membership was reported in
the New York Times (November 17, 1880).
27 Letter from the Committee on Arrangements to Professor Charles E. Anthon, Febru-
ary 12, 1881. Also see New York Herald (February 16, 1881).
28 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of the American Numismatic Society, with an
Historical Sketch (New York, 1915), pp. 22-3.
29 Luigi Palma di Cesnola came from a noble family of Piedmont which traced its origins
back to the late eleventh century Spain. Cesnola's early training was designed for a clerical
career, but when the wars of the Italian Risorgimento erupted, he enlisted as a volunteer in the
Sardinian Army and was given an officer's commission after the battle of Novara. In 1869,
after service with the Sardinian contingent in the Crimean War, Cesnola immigrated to New
York where, at the start of the Civil War, he was commissioned a major, and subsequently a
lieutenant-colonel of the Eleventh New York Volunteer Cavalry. Apparently he served with
some distinction through the war, having undergone capture and wounds, and early in
1865 President Lincoln conferred on him the rank of Brevet Brigadier-General. For short bio-
graphies of Cesnola see Prominent Families of New York (New York, n.d.), pp. 174-5; Apple-
ton's Cyclopedia of American Biography, I, p. 561; DAB, III, pp. 583-4.
326 NOTES to Progress and Conflict
80 A short biography and obituary of Feuardent is to be found in the Historiographer's
Report in Proceedings (March 19, 1894), p. 17.
31 "New York Museum of Art," American Journal of Numismatics, January 1873, pp. 68-9.
32 At a later stage it was to become a point of contention between the two whether Feuardent
actually handled any part of this transaction, and also whether the British Museum and Louvre
really did attempt to purchase any part of the collection. The evidence is strongly in favor of an
affirmative answer to both of these questions, but it is interesting to note that when Feuar-
dent's obituary was published by the Society, it contained a statement to the effect that Feuar-
dent had "acted as the Agent of General di Cesnola, in disposing of his Cypriote Antiquities
to the Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City." Cesnola immediately took issue with
the remark and wrote to Weeks, the Historiographer of the Society, on April 17, 1897, pro-
testing that Feuardent had never been the agent and, indeed, had nothing whatever to do
with the sale of the antiquities. The statement was not withdrawn. Letter from William R.
Weeks to Henry Russell Drowne, July 21, 1897.
33 Letter from James Barber to Isaac F. Wood, September 27, 1876.
84 Gaston L. Feuardent, The Cesnola Collection and the De Morgan Collection. Papers Communi-
cated to The American Numismatic and Archaeological Society (New York, 1878). The Society under-
took the publication of these papers.
35 Gaston L. Feuardent, "The Masculo-Feminine Demiurgos of the Egyptians," Proceed-
ings (March 18, 1879), pp. 19-22.
36 Cf. Clarence Cook, Transformations and Migrations of Certain Statues in the Cesnola Collection
(New York, 1881), pp. 1-12.
87 The charges were published in the New York World (January 9, 1881).
38 Gaston L. Feuardent, Answer of Gaston L. Feuardent to L. P. di Cesnola. The Accusations of
Dishonesty Contained in a Communication Addressed to the Executive Committee of the Metropolitan
Museum of Art as published in the New York "World" of January 9th, 1881, Mainly Answered by
Cesnola's own Letters (New York, 1881).
39 See also the Commercial Advertiser (March 18, 1881).
40 Clarence Cook, Transformations and Migrations of Certain Statues in the Cesnola Collection,
pp. 37-8.
11 Letter from William Poillon to The Principal Librarian of the British Museum, May 18,
1881.
42 Letter from Edward A. Bond, Principal Librarian of the British Museum, to William
Poillon, June 9, 1881, enclosing a letter from C. T. Newton to Bond, June 8, 1881, and one from
Reginald Stuart Poole to Bond, June 9, 1881.
43 Letter from Richard Hoe Lawrence to William Poillon, July 13, 1881. Also see a letter
from Feuardent of the same date. Cf. Letter from Feuardent to Poillon, July 16, 1881.
44 Letter from Eugene Brocheton, November 1, 1881.
48 Report of W. J. Stillman on the Cesnola Collection (privately printed), p. 9. This report and the
circumstances surrounding its issuance will be discussed at a later point.
46 Letters from Fred C. Burt & Co. to G. Feuardent, March 11, 1882 and from Feuardent
to the Society, March 28, 1882.
47 The original text of this address is extant in the archives of the Society.
48 Letter from Cyrus J. Lawrence to William Poillon, March 22, 1883.
48 Letter from Poillon to Gaston L. Feuardent, March 27, 1883.
60 The emended text in manuscript and a letter from Hewitt to Poillon are extant in the
archives of the Society. They show the source of the printed text.
NOTES to Old Problems and New Ideas 327
"Letter from Richard Ely to William Poillon, January 8, 1884.
Letter from William Poillon, January 13, 1884.
68 It was ordered that this paper be published with the Proceedings of the Quarter Centennial
Meeting in 1883. Proceedings (March 20, 1883), pp. 26-7.
"For a short biography of William James Stillman see DAB, XVII, pp. 29-30. W.J.
Stillman's autobiography (The Autobiography of a Journalist) was published in two volumes
in 1901 and provides some very interesting sidelights about the man.
M The original text of these resolutions is extant in the archives of the Society.
6* Letter from W. J. Stillman to H. Russell Drowne, Rome, March 7th.
57 Letters from Daniel Ravenel to Wood, January 5, 1875 and to William Poillon of the
same date.
68 Letter from John Eaton, Commisioner of Bureau of Education, to the Society, July 23,
1875.
69 Letter from L. E.Jones of Publisher's Weekly, October 19, 1877. Also see letter repeating
that request by L. E.Jones, March 14, 1878.
Notes to Old Problems and New Ideas, 1883-1905
1 With Professor Solomon Woolf on this committee were Sullivan, C. J. Lawrence, Betts,
Parish, and Hewitt.
2 Letter from A. Louden Snowden to William Poillon, January 21, 1884.
8 Letter from Woolf to Poillon, January 25, 1884.
4 Woolf's poor health forced him to request that his resignation from the chairmanship be
accepted. Letters from Woolf to Poillon, February 15, 1884; March 21, 1884; April 5, 1884.
s Letter from Hewitt to Poillon, April 26, 1884.
6 Letter from Hewitt to Poillon, May 10, 1884.
7 Letters from Hewitt to Low, May 14, 1884; Poillon to Hewitt, May 12, 1884; Hewitt to
Low, May 14, 1884; and Hewitt to Low, June 9, 1884.
8 Letter from Low to Wood, April 17, 1885.
9 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society with an
Historical Sketch (New York, 1915), pp. 24-5.
10 See New York Times, January 19, 1884.
11 New York Tribune, April 6, 1884; New York Evening Post, April 7, 1884; New York Tribune,
April 17, 1884; New York Mail and Express, May 8, 1884; New York Evening Post, May 9, 1884.
12 Letters from C. H. Banes to the Society, May 13, 1884; from G. H. Banes to William
Poillon, July 22, 1884; from William Poillon to Charles H. Banes, August 5, 1884; from
Charles H. Banes to William Poillon, August 27, 1884; and from C. H. Banes to William Poillon
August 30, 1884.
18 See the report of the Committee in Proceedings (March 17, 1885), p. 7.
11 See Proceedings (March 16, 1886), pp. 31-56. This contains abstracts concerning the
first ten informal meetings.
Proceedings (March 15, 1887), p. 7.
18 New York Times (April 10, 1885). Also see the published version of the talk delivered by
Zabriskie in Numisma, IX, Nos. 3, 4, and 5 (May, July, and Sept. 1885). See also New York
Times (Dec. 3, 1891, and Jan. 29, 1892).
328 NOTES to Old Problems and New Ideas
"Proceedings (March 20, 1893), p. 7.
18 Proceedings (March 20, 1893), pp. 15-16.
19 Proceedings (March 20, 1893), pp. 7-8.
20 Proceedings (March 17, 1885), p. 10.
21 Letter from John H. Boynton to the Society, February 28, 1885. Also see the circular
issued by the Bureau of Information as to Legacies and Bequests, November 1864, in the ar-
chives of the Society.
22 See the undated letter from J. H. Boynton to William Poillon.
23 Letters from Richard H. Lawrence to Poillon, March 3, 1885; from William Poillon to
John H. Boynton, March 5, 1885; from Benjamin Betts to Richard H. Lawrence, March 14,
1885; from R. H. Smith to Richard H. Lawrence, March 18, 1885; from Benjamin Betts to
William Poillon, March 23, 1885.
M Letters from William Poillon to Horatio C. Harrower, March 26, 1885; T. W. Foster,
attorney for the executor, to the Society March 27, 1885; Tallmadge W. Foster, attorney at
law, to William Poillon, April 14, 1885; William Poillon to T. W. Foster, April 14, 1885; Ben-
jamin Betts to William Poillon, April 16, 1885; William Poillon to Benjamin Betts, April 27,
1885. Also see the Curator's Report in Proceedings (March 16, 1886), p. 11.
25 Report of the Curator of Archaeology in Proceedings (March 21, 1892), pp. 11-12.
26 This resolution was actually passed at the request of the Grolier Club. See letters from
Arthur B. Turnure, Chairman of the House Committee of the Grolier Club to the Society,
February 24, 1888; H. Russell Drowne to Arthur B. Turnure, March 21, 1888; and Proceedings
(March 1888-1892), p. 15, for the record of the passage of this resolution.
"Proceedings (March 19, 1889), pp. 7-8.
28 These new appointments were made by Andrew C. Zabriskie as First Vice-President
during the absence of President Parish who was ill at the time. Ibid., p. 17.
29 This episode was omitted from the published record of the Proceedings of the Thirty-third
Annual Meeting (March 16, 1891).
30 Letter from H. Russell Drowne to Mrs. Graham, March 17, 1891.
81 Letter from H. Russell Drowne to Mrs. Graham, April 27, 1891.
32 This letter has been preserved in the archives of the Society.
88 Letter from H. Russell Drowne to Mrs. Graham, May 4, 1891.
34 Letter from H. Russell Drowne to Eliza Graham, May 18, 1891.
38 Proceedings (March 16, 1891), pp. 11-12.
38 See letters from John Jay Knox to Daniel Parish, Jr., May 13, 1891; J. A. Bolen to
Charles Pryer, May 14, 1891; R. W. McLachlin to Daniel Parish, Jr., May 14, 1891; William
Lee to the Society, May 16, 1891; S. R. Koehler to the Society, May 16, 1891; Isaac J. Green-
wood to Daniel Parish, Jr., May 18, 1891. In the following year Greenwood contributed
$25.00. See also letters from Hyman Ely, May 14, 1891; H. C. Ezekiel, May 14, 1891; George
T. Paine, May 14, 1891; Charles B. Perry, May 16, 1891; George W. Massamore, May 21,
1891; John Bowne, May 23, 1891.
87 Report of the Building Fund Committee, November 16, 1891, preserved in the archives
of the Society.
38 See Proceedings (March 21, 1892), pp. 5-6.
39 Letter from James Grant Wilson of the New York Genealogical and Biographical
Society to Henry R. Drowne. This letter is preserved in the minutes for May 18, 1891. The
proposal was referred to the Building Fund Committee.
40 Letter from Daniel Parish, Jr., to Henry Russell Drowne, February 17, 1892.
NOTES to Old Problems and New Ideas 329
41 This description can be found in the remarks of Andrew C. Zabriskie at the special meet-
ing.
42 Letters from Everett H. Herrick, Chairman of the House Committee of the Academy of
Medicine to Henry Russell Drowne, undated; from Daniel Parish, Jr., to Henry Russell
Drowne, March 7, 1892; H. O. Havemeyer to Henry Russell Drowne, May 17, 1892; Bau-
man L. Belden to Henry Russell Drowne, May 20, 1892.
43 Not the least interesting of these proposals was one from the Drawing-Room Club to the
effect that the Society should take rooms in a house which that Club intended to buy. See
letter from Drawing-Room Club to H. R. Drowne, May 23, 1892.
44 Letter from H. Carrington Bolton of the University Club on behalf of the Alliance of N.Y.
Scientific Societies to H. R. Drowne, November 16, 1892.
45 Letter from Daniel Parish, Jr. to H. Russell Drowne, November 9, 1892.
46 Letter from Richard H. Greene to the Society, January 5, 1895.
47 Letter from R. H. Greene to Bauman L. Belden, January 30, 1897.
48 Dr. Storer, a member of the Society, apparently complained about the hesitation on the
part of the attendants at the Academy of Medicine with respect to letting him enter. This is
recorded in the Executive Committee minutes for April 5, 1900.
49 There is a great deal of detail contained in the correspondence for this period regarding
the attitude of the various officers as to the motives of the Academy of Medicine in requesting
the move. Zabriskie suggested that when the public authorities learned that the Society was
paying rent to the Academy they wished to revoke the tax exempt status of that organization.
The ostensible reason given for the move was the need for more library space for the Academy
of Medicine. See letters from Andrew Zabriskie to Bauman L. Belden, July 20, 1901; from Dr.
Reginald H. Sayre to Andrew C. Zabriskie, July 12, 1901; from Andrew C. Zabriskie to Bau-
man L. Belden, July 31, 1901; from Dr. Reginald H. Sayre to Andrew C. Zabriskie, July 26,
1901.
60 Letter from Dr. Reginald H. Sayre to Henry Russell Drowne, April 2, 1902.
61 Letter from Andrew C. Zabriskie to Bauman L. Belden, April 9, 1902.
52 Proceedings (January 19, 1903), pp. 14-15.
63 Ibid., p. 9.
M See Proceedings (March 21, 1898), p. 17. Cf. Zabriskie's Presidential Address in Proceedings
(March 20, 1899), p. 18. By 1904, Zabriskie had confused the dates of these two speeches. See
his Presidential Address in Proceedings (January 18, 1904), pp. 20-21.
66 Proceedings (January 19, 1903), p. 14. This was part of the Presidential Address.
56 Ibid., pp. 17-18.
67 Proceedings (January 18, 1904), p. 16.
58 Ibid., p. 16.
69 R. W. G. Vail, Knickerbocker Birthday. A Sesqui-Centennial History of The Mew-York Historical
Society, 1804-1954 (New York: New York Historical Society, 1954).
60 Proceedings (January 18, 1904), pp. 20-21.
61 Ibid., p. 21, gives a full account of the proceedings at this meeting.
62 The passage of the amendment regarding the Vice Presidency is recorded in Proceedings
(March 18, 1884), pp. 5-6. Mr. Walter's amendment was passed in 1887. Proceedings (March 15,
1887), pp. 15-16.
63 Proceedings (March 20, 1893), pp. 15-16.
64 Constitution and By-Laws of The American Numismatic and Archaeological Society with Proposed
Revision to be Acted Upon March 19th, 1894; Proceedings (March 19, 1894), p. 10; Proceedings
33O NOTES to Old Problems and New Ideas
(March 18, 1895), pp. 38-39; Articles of Incorporation and Constitution and By-Laws of the Americna
Numismatic and Archaeological Society (New York, 1896); Amendments to Constitution and By-Laws
of the American Numismati c and Archaeological Society adopted Nov. 20, 1899; March 19, 1900; March
18, 1901 (New York, 1901).
* Letter from Parish to Drowne, March 8, 1899.
60 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society with an
Historical Sketch (New York, 1915), pp. 26-27 describes the piece. An impression in gold was
given to Parish and bronze copies were distributed to the subscribers. Also see the New York
Times (June 15, 1890).
67 Proceedings (March 17, 1890), p. 11.
88 Letter in the archives of the Society.
"* For a fuller account of the incident regarding the World's Fair and the decision to hold
an exhibition in this city see the New York Herald (April 23, 1893).
70 American Numismatic and Archaeological Society of New York Columbian Exhibition of Coins and
Medals at the Rooms of the Society in the Building of the Academy of Medicine, April 25th, 1893. Also see
New York Times (April 1, 1893); New YorkSun (April26,1893);New York World (April26,1893).
71 This report is extant in the archives of the Society, but it was never recorded in the
Proceedings.
7> For short biographies of Kunz see DAB, XXI, p. 476; National Cyclopedia of American
Biography, IV, p. 433; and the many volumes of Who's Who in New York and Who's Who in
America issued during his lifetime. An obituary notice was published in The Numismatist, XLV
(1932), p. 516.
78 Letter from H. Russell Drowne to George F. Kunz, January 18, 1894.
74 Proceedings (March 20, 1893), p. 8.
7t New York Tribune (Jan. 24, 1894); New York Herald (Jan. 21, 1894); New York Times
(Jan. 21. 1894).
76 A copy of this resolution is extant in the archives.
77 Letter from F. Wellington Ruckstuhl, Secretary of the National Sculpture Society to
H. Russell Drowne, February 2, 1894.
78 See the letter from George Heath, publisher of The Numismatist, March 10, 1894, in the
archives of the Society.
78 Letter from George F. Kunz to H. Russell Drowne, February 15, 1894. Abo see New
York Times (August 22, 1894).
80 See the full report of the Committee on New Coinage Design published in the Proceedings
(March 16, 1896), pp. 45-8.
81 Proceedings (March 15, 1897), pp. 7-9.
88 On this medal designed by Victor D. Brenner see Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publi-
cations of the American Numismatic Society with an Historical Sketch (New York, 1915), pp. 30-31.
A description of the presentation ceremonies and of the events surrounding the issuance of this
medal is to be found in the List of Meetings Held and Papers Read before the Society published in
Proceedings (March 15, 1897), p. 46.
83 Report of the Grant Monument Medal Committee in Proceedings (March 21, 1898), p. 7.
Among the papers published by the Society there is one entitled "History of the Grant Mon-
ument Medal." Proceedings (March 21, 1898), pp. 52-63. The letters of acceptance from the
foreign potentates are published in the Proceedings (March 20, 1899), pp. 59-67. Also see
the Chicago Herald (April 24, 1897); New York Times (April 24, 1897); and the earlier article
in thet New York Tribune (April 5, 1897).
NOTES to Old Problems and New Ideas 331
84 Proceedings (March 20, 1899), p. 6. Also see Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications
of the American Numismatic Society, pp. 34-35.
86 Letters from William Rhinelander Stewart to Andrew C. Zabriskie, June 1, 1898;
June 27, 1898; and February 27, 1899. The Proceedings of the National Conference of Charities and
Correction at the 25th Session pp. lii-liv, give an account of the medal. See New York Tribune
(March 22, 1898), and New York Times (May 8, 1898).
88 Proceedings (March 20, 1898), pp. 6-8. After the death of Andrew H. Green on November
13, 1903, the Society passed a resolution stating that "The recent news of the sad death of the
Hon. Andrew H. Green by assasination has been a great shock to the community, and while
he was not a member of our Society, it is the desire of its members to express their deep sorrow
at his loss and their high respect of him as a fellow citizen." Proceedings (January 18, 1904), p. 22.
87 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of the American Numismatic Society, pp. 38-39;
The New York Daily Tribune (March 8, 1902); New York Herald (May 21, 1902). See the letter
of acceptance of Prince Henry in Proceedings (January 19, 1903), p. 10. It is interesting to note
that the Society made a profit of $167.36 on the production of this piece.
88 The letters from the American Embassy about the King of Italy were published in Pro-
ceedings (March 18, 1901), pp. 71-72, and Proceedings (January 19, 1903), p. 10.
89 Proceedings (March 18, 1901), p. 15.
80 Proceedings (January 20, 1902), pp. 17-18.
81 "Report of the Committee on Medals," Proceedings (January 19, 1903), pp. 8-9.
92 Proceedings (January 18, 1904), pp. 8-15. Also see Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publi-
cations of the American Numismatic Society, pp. 40-41.
83 Proceedings (March 21, 1898), p. 15.
84 Proceedings (March 20, 1899), pp. 17-18.
95 Proceedings (March 19, 1900), pp. 18-20.
94 Letter from Zabriskie to Belden, March 22, 1900. This Committee was appointed after
the Annual Meeting even though the names are recorded in the Proceedings. Woodbury G.
Langdon was a successful New York dry goods merchant. Short statements about him can be
found in The National Cyclopedia of American Biography, II, p. 153; ed. Lyman Horace Weeks,
Prominent Families of New York (New York, 1896), p. 350; Who's Who in New York, 1907, p. 810;
Leslie's History of Greater New York (New York, n.d.), I, pp. 383-5; ed. Moses King, Notable
New Yorkers of 1896-1899 (New York and Boston, 1898), p. 488.
97 Letters from Henry Davis of the Academy of Design to the Society, July 12, 1900; from
Zabriskie to Belden, July 18, 1900; from Belden to Henry Davis, July 20, 1900; from Zabriskie
to Belden, August 16, 1900. New York Times (December 16, 1900).
68 L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Coin-, Gem-, and Seal-Engravers, and Mint-
Masters &c. Ancient and Modem with References to their Works B.C 500-A.o. 1900 (London, 1904),
IV, p. 536.
98 Proceedings (March 18, 1901), pp. 8-9.
100 Yhe pr;zes for the preceding year were won by Mary St. John Harper and by Adolph
Wolff. On Victor D. Brenner see L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, I, pp. 277-279;
"Plaques and Medallions by Victor D. Brenner," The Survey, XXXV, No. 1 (October 2,
1915); Victor D. Brenner, The Art of the Medal (New York, 1910); Victor D. Brenner, "Brief
Sketch of the Progress in the United States of Medallic Art," Proces-Verbaux et mimoires du
Congris 1nternationale de numismatique et d'art de la mldaille contemporaines (Bruxelles, 1910), pp.
549-553. Also printed in The Numismatist, XXIII (1910), pp. 265-266; "Victor D. Brenner,"
The Numismatist, XXII (1909). pp. 69-70; and his obituary notice in The Numismatist, XXXVII
332 NOTES to Old Problems and New Ideas
(1924), p. 372. A description of the school under Brenner's tutelage may be found in The
Jeweler's Circular-Weekly (November 27, 1901).
101 Proceedings (January 12, 1902), p. 7.
102 On the effect of the resignation of Victor D. Brenner see Proceedings (January 18,1904),
p. 7.
103 The Woodbury G. Langdon prizes were awarded to three pupils. Mary Palmer
Harper won the first prize of $60; Adele A. Pollack won the second prize of $25; and Jennie
V. Cannon won the third prize of $15. Idem.
104 Letter from Woodbury G. Langdon to Bauman L. Belden, May 13, 1905, in the minutes
for the meeting of May 15th.
105 On Kunz see note 72; on Brenner see note 100. For short accounts of Augustus Saint-
Gaudens, the American Sculptor, see L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, V, p. 298.
and DAB XVI, pp. 296-302. J. Sanford Saltus must remain a rather enigmatic figure who
died under strange circumstances in London in 1922. His interest in medals has been perpetu-
ated at the Society in the Saltus award which is given annually to the best medallist. See his
obituary in The Numismatist, XXXV (1922), p. 378.
106 On this issue Drowne, Pryer, Valentine, Pehrson, and Belden voted affirmatively while
Parish, Dodd, and Wilson did so negatively.
107 Proceedings (March 19, 1900), p. 5. Also see the report of the Committee on the Paris
Exposition in the same issue of the Proceedings, pp. 8-10. This report contains a complete
description of the exhibit. Other descriptions and discussions of the exhibit are to be found in
the New York Herald (Dec. 10, 1899); New York Times (March 1, 1900); New York Tribune
Illustrated Supplement (March 4, 1900); The Jeweler's Circular (April 4, 1900).
108 At the meeting of November 19, 1900, it was reported that "official notice" had been
received of the award of a gold medal to the Society which could be obtained at a cost of
600 francs (about $120). The money was voted for the purchase of this piece, but there is no
record of its existence save the "Report of the Committee on the Paris Exposition," Proceedings
(March 18, 1901), pp. 7-8. Two letters from B. D. Woodward of the United States Commis-
sion to the Paris Exposition of 1900 mention a diploma award in Class 3 and a bronze medal
which was granted free of charge. Letters from B. D. Woodward to the Society, May 20, 1902,
and May 31, 1902. In the Society's trays, however, there are two identical medals save that
one is in silver and the other in bronze.
109 A copy of a separate resolution for Victor D. Brenner was published in Proceedings (March
18, 1901), p. 9.
110 Ibid., pp. 19-20. Belden, Kunz, and Saltus were appointed.
111 On Parish Hackley Barhydt see Proceedings (March 21, 1898), p. 13. The money was
donated in the following year and apparently resulted in a series of resolutions passed at the
Executive Committee meeting on February 9, 1899, specifying what use should be made of the
various funds held by the Society.
112 On the gift of the collection see "American Numismatic Society," The Numismatist,
XXXI (1918), p. 14; Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of the American Numismatic
Society, p. 14; Proceedings (March 18, 1901), p. 12. On the presentation of the loving cup see
the short address by Henry Russell Drowne, "Presentation of Loving Cup to Mr. Edward
Groh," Proceedings (March 18, 1901), pp. 39-40. Groh's obituary appeared in The Numismatist,
XVIII (1905), p. 29; and Proceedings (January 16, 1905), pp. 13-14. Also see George Hetrick,
Civil War Tokens and Tradesmen's Store Cards (New York, 1924). Groh's death was also comme-
morated by a memorial page in the Proceedings of 1905.
NOTES to A New Home and a New Life 333
118 Archer M. Huntington's letter of acceptance, January 27, 1899, is still extant.
114 John Kirkland Wright, Geography in the Making. The American Geographical Society, 1851-
1951 (New York, 1952), passim. Huntington, of course, was the founder of the Hispanic
Society of America, and it remained throughout his life his most consuming interest. A History
of The Hispanic Society of America. Museum and Library, 1904-1954 (New York, 1954), passim.
116 Alfred Bloor, who was Recording Secretary at this time, was also connected with this
scheme for a merger. He also resigned his position.
Notes to A New Home and a New Life, 1905-1915
1 During the period covered in this chapter there was even an attempt made to catalogue
and file the preserved correspondence of the Society. This was suggested in 1908, but there is
no evidence that anything material was accomplished before a much later period. Letter from
Pryer to Belden, July 10, 1908. Perhaps the success of the Society in acquiring a home of its
own served as the stimulus.
2 Letter from Newell to the Society, January 20, 1905.
3 Letter from Edward T. Newell to Bauman L. Belden, March 3, 1905.
* There are numerous notices regarding Mr. Newell and his career, Who's Who In America,
XVI (1930-31), p. 1649; The Numismatist, LIV, No. 4 (April 1941), p. 267; The Coin Collector's
Journal, VIII, No 4 (April 1941), p. 50.
6 Proceedings (January 16, 1905), pp. 15-16.
* Letters from William R. Weeks to Bauman L. Belden, December 14,1905 and December 15,
1905. Also see Articles of Incorporation and Constitution and By-Laws of the American Numismatic and
Archaeological Society (New York, 1896), Ch. V, Sect. I (page 14).
7 Proceedings (January 15, 1906), p. 24.
8 Due notice of the prospective move was given in the Executive Committee report at the
Forty-Eigth Annual Meeting. Proceedings (January 15, 1906), p. 8.
* Letter from H. Russell Drowne to the Union Dime Savings Bank, February 9, 1906.
10 Letter from Mansfield L. Hillhouse, Secretary of the Hispanic Society, to the American
Numismatic Society, July 12, 1907. A motion expressing the appreciation of the American
Numismatic Society was appropriately phrased and passed.
11 New York Times (January 17, 1906); New York World (January 17, 1906); New York
Herald (January 11, 1906); New York Evening Telegram (June 22, 1906); New York Evening Post
(July 28, 1906); New York Evening Post (August 11, 1906); American Art News (August 17, 1907);
New York Herald (September 4, 1907). Of course a copy of the design was printed in the Pro-
ceedings of 1906. It also appeared in a small pamphlet, Suggested Plan for a building for the Numis-
matic and Archaeological Society (New York: The de Vinne Press, 1906).
12 Proceedings (January 15, 1906), p. 23. The motions to this effect were proposed by Belden.
18 Ibid., p. 22.
14 Fryer's letter to Belden, May 27, 1906, may be taken as indicating the stature in the
business world of the members of that committee.
16 See the published report of the Building Committee which consisted of Archer M.
Huntington, Edward D. Adams, Bauman L. Belden, Alfred J. Bloor, Robert Hewitt, Mans-
field L. Hillhouse, William Poillon, Charles Pryer, and J. Otis Woodward. Proceedings (January
21, 1907), pp. 22-24.
334 NOTES to A New Home and a New Life
"New York Times (December 8, 1907).
17 Proceedings (January 20, 1908), p. 20.
18 Ibid., p. 8.
19 A short account of the history of the Society appeared in the Home Topics of Washington
Heights (April 11, 1908) to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the founding of the Society.
80 New York Evening Post (May 13, 1908).
21 The New York Sun (April 16, 1911) contained a full page devoted to a description and pic-
tures of the institutions bordering on Audubon Terrace. The New York Press (December 4,
1908) contained a long article describing the building as the only one in the world devoted
solely to coins and random notes on the history of coinage.
M Proceedings (January 20, 1908), p. 14.
28 Letter from Thomas L. Elder to Bauman L. Belden, September 17, 1907. Elder says "I
think it an outrage that the President's letter and request should have been thus far ignored.
We cannot afford to snub the President of the United States."
24 Letter from Thomas L. Elder to President Huntington, January 6, 1908. In that letter
Elder says:
On December 20th 1907, a special meeting of the above named Society was held in
their rooms, the purpose of the meeting being to discuss and present resolutions in the
matter of the efforts to improve the appearance of our current coinage. Three drafts of
resolutions were presented by the Committee, consisting of Messrs. Brand, Leon and
Holmes, After a full discussion the following resolutions were adopted.
WHEREAS, the commendable efforts of President Theodore Roosevelt to improve the
artistic appearance of our coinage have brought about the adoption of new designs of the
ten and twenty dollar gold pieces.
WHEREAS, the new designs have been severely and unfavorably criticised by the people
and in the public press, therefore be it
RESOLVED by the Chicago Numismatic Society, that, in the opinion of its members,
such unfavorable criticism is, for the most part, unwarranted and not well considered; that
coins constitute the best medium by means of which progress in medallic art can be illus-
trated to all the people, and that therefore the great progress which has been made in this
art since the designs heretofore in use were first adopted, should receive recognition on
our coins; that the new designs, with the exception of the obverse on the ten dollar piece,
are improvements artistically, over those which they displace; that the reverse designs
of both pieces might be further improved; that the obverse of the twenty dollar piece is
the most beautiful design which has ever appeared on any authorized coin of our country;
and be it further
RESOLVED, that the President be heartily commended for his labors in connection with
the improvement of the artistic appearance of our coinage, and respectfully urged to
continue his efforts until all of our coins are impressed with designs exemplifying the
highest and best type of modern and medallic art.
A motion was carried, instructing the Secretary to spread the resolution on the minutes
and to have a copy engrossed and forwarded to President Roosevelt.
25 This entire record was not published in the Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of 1908,
but it is contained in the minutes.
28 Proceedings (January 20, 1908), p. 22.
"R. S. Yeoman, A Guidebook of United States Coins, 1952-53 (Racine, Wisconsin: Whitman
Publishing Company, 1951), p. 82.
NOTES to A New Home aud a New Life 335
28 New York Times (Dec. 11, 1914); Providence Bulletin (Dec. 11, 1914); Springfield Union (Dec.
11, 1914); New York Post (Dec. 12, 1914); Boston Evening Transcript (Dec. 12, 1914); New York
Evening Post (Dec. 12, 1914); Boston Globe (Dec. 13, 1914); Pittsburgh Dispatch (Dec. 14, 1914);
Cleveland Plain Dealer (Dec. 14, 1914); Washington, D. C. Evening Star (Dec. 15, 1914); Letter
to the editor in New York Sun (Dec. 27, 1914); Boston Evening Transcript (Dec. 19, 1914);
Christian Science Monitor(Dec. 21,1914); American Art News (Jan. 23, 1915); Leslie's Weekly (Feb.
25, 1915); New York Evening Telegram (Mar. 3, 1915); Wichita Eagle (Mar. 5, 1915); Baltimore
Star (Mar. 12, 1915); Cleveland Leader (Oct. 31, 1915).
29 Proceedings (January 21, 1907), pp. 27-28.
30 On S. Whitney Dunscomb, Jr., see Who's Who in New York, 4th ed. (1909), p. 428.
31 Letter from S. Whitney Dunscomb, Jr. to Bauman L. Belden, February 4, 1907.
32 Preceedings (January 17, 1910), p. 17.
33 Letter from Henry Russell Drowne to Bauman L. Belden, January 19, 1909.
34 In 1914 Agnes Baldwin married George Munroe Brett, a teacher at the City College.
In the latter years of her life Mrs. Brett published the catalogue of the ancient Greek numis-
matic collection of the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. On Mrs. Brett see Who's Who in America,
XXIII (1943-44), p. 231. There were many obituary notices on the occasion of her death.
See New York Times (Dec. 27, 1955); The Numismatist, LXIX, No. 2 (February 1956), p. 166;
Numismatic Circular, LXIV, No. 4 (April 1956), col. 163; Numismatisches Nachrichtenblatt, V,
No. 5 (May 1956), p. 75; Schweizer Miinzblatter, VI.No. 22 (July 1956), p. 43; Mitteilungen der
Osterreichischen Numismatischen Gesellschqft, IX, No. 10 (1956), pp. 86-87.
35 Letters from Low to Huntington, February 8, 1909, and from Huntington to Belden,
February 9, 1909.
38 Letter from Bauman L. Belden to Adams, April 25, 1912.
37 The offices of Honorary Curator and Honorary Librarian had been created by the Board
of Governors after the Annual Meeting of 1910. They were established for one year, but in 1911
no appointments to these offices were made and so they simply went out of existence. Letter from
Bauman L. Belden to Henry R. Drowne, March 7, 1911. In the published Proceedings of 1911,
A. H. Cooper-Prichard is listed as Librarian. He had become a member only a month earlier.
38 Letter from Weeks to Noe, June 11, 1919. This correspondence began on June 3, 1919,
with an inquiry from Sydney P. Noe about a copy of the Revue beige de numismatique. Weeks
responded in a letter dated June 5, 1919 and so the correspondence continued with several
letters passing between these two men during the month. On October 29, 1919, William R.
Weeks died, but his death was merely noted in the Secretary's report for that year. Proceedings
(January 10, 1920), p. 7; also see New York Herald (Oct. 30, 1919); New Yok Times (Oct. 31,
1919). It does seem odd that at the passing of such an important figure in the history of the
Society no particular notice should be taken and also that the obituary notices do not mention
the fact of his having been a member of the Society. No obituary appeared in the numismatic
journals of the period.
39 Letters from Drowne to Belden, March 10, 1912, and from Belden to Drowne, March 13,
1912.
40 The American Numismatic Society Constitution and By-Laws (New York, 1910), Art. V.
On Rowland Wood see Who's Who in America, XVIII (1934-35), p. 2579.
42 Letters from Belden to Wood, December 12, 1912; from Wood to Belden, January 22,
1913; from Belden to Wood, January 27, 1913; from Wood to Belden, January 29, 1913.
43 Letters from Wood to Belden, January 29, 1913; from Belden to Wood, February 4, 1913;
from Wood to Belden, February 7, 1913.
336 NOTES to A New Home and a New Life
44 Letter from Belden to Newell, April 28, 1916.
45 Letter from Huntington to Belden, October 12, 1905. In that letter Huntington quotes
a letter to him from Barr Ferree of the Pennsylvania Society, September 20, 1905.
46 Letter from Poillon to Belden, October 28, 1905.
47 Letter from Belden to Wood, May 24, 1910.
"New York Herald (Aug. 15, 1909); New York Sun (Sept. 2, 1910); Banker and Investor (Phila-
delphia, July 1910); New York Herald (Aug. 28, 1910) and (Sept. 6, 1910); New York Sun (Sept. 6,
1910). Also see The Elder Magazine, I, No. 9 (Sept. 1910), which contains photographs of the
convention. The Year Book of the American Numismatic Association for 1910 contains a full descrip-
tion of the meeting.
"Letters from Belden to E. H. Adams, February 3, 1913, and from Edgar H. Adams to
Bauman L. Belden, February 5, 1913.
60 Proch-Verbaux et Memoires du Congres International de Numismatique et d'Art de la Midaille
Contcmporaine (Bruxelles, 1910).
"New York Press (Mar. 10, 1910); New York Herald (Mar. 10, 1910); New York Times (Mar.
10, 1910); Newark Evening News (Mar. 19, 1910); New York Evening Post (Mar. 12, 1910);
Letter from A. Piatt Andrew, Director of the U.S. Mint in Washington, D. C., dated March
20, 1910, printed in the New York Evening Post (Mar. 29, 1910), comments on the medals of the
different countries. Another letter, dated March 30, 1910, appeared in the same newspaper
(April 1, 1910). The Magazine Section of the New York Herald (April 10,1910), had a long
article with many illustrations relating to the International Medallic Exhibition. Finally
A. Piatt Andrew published an appreciation of the exhibition in his article entitled "An Inter-
national Medallic Exhibition," American Review of Reviews (May 1910), pp. 561-567.
62 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society with an
Historical Sketch (New York, 1915), pp. 62-63, contains a description and a photograph of this
piece.
63 Letters from Drowne to Belden, August 2, 1910, and from Belden to Drowne, August 3,
1910.
64 Agnes Baldwin, Catalogue of the International Exhibition of Contemporary Medals (New and
rev. ed.: New York, 1911).
"Proceedings (January 21, 1911), p. 14.
"New York American (February 12, 1911).
57 Catalogue of Sculpture by Prince Paul Troubetzkoy Exhibited by The American Numismatic
Society at the Hispanic Society of America. February 12, to March 12,1911 (New York, 1911).
68 New York Herald (February 18, 1912).
"See the letter from Belden to Adams, October 29, 1912 and the enclosed notices.
00 L'Art de la Midaille et de la Plaquette Modernes de Gi. Cariati, Series 1, 2, and 3. Also see
L'Arte della Medaglia e delta Placchetta di Gi. Cariati "GICAR," Esposizione Italiana, 1909, Catalogo
Relazione di V. Rossi-Sacchetti cm due Ritratti (Parigi, 1909).
"Letter from Edward D. Adams to Bauman L. Belden, October 30, 1912.
*2 Catalogue of Medals, Plaques and Drawings by Signor Giovanni Cariati exhibited by the American
Numismatic Society, December llth to 21st, 1912 (New York, 1912).
63 New York Globe (Dec. 20, 1912), and L'Araldo Italiano (March 16, 1913).
M Joan of Arc Loan Exhibition Catalogue. Paintings, Pictures, Medals, Coins, Statuary, Books,
Porcelains, Manuscripts, Curios, etc. Under the Auspices of The Joan of Arc Statue Committee, (For a
Statue of Joan of Arc in the City of New York). The Museum of French Art, French Institute in the
United States, The American Numismatic Society. January 6th to February 8th, 1913 (New York 1913).
NOTES to A New Home and a New Life 337
68 New York Herald (Jan. 31, 1912). Other gifts are also mentioned.
"New York Herald (Dec. 31, 1912); New York Times (Jan. 5, 1913); New York Evening Sun
(Jan. 6, 1913); New York Press (Jan. 7, 1913) (two articles); New York Herald (Jan. 7, 1913)
(two articles); New York Times (Jan. 7, 1913); New York Evening Post (Jan. 7, 1913); New York
Sun (Jan. 7, 1913); Brooklyn Life (Jan. 11, 1913); New York Evening Post (Jan. 18, 1913); Brook-
lyn Daily Eagle (Jan. 19, 1913); New York Sun (Jan. 19, 1913); New York Evening Sun (Jan. 31,
1913); also see a letter to the editor of the New York Times, dated January 31, 1913, requesting
that the exhibition be prolonged; The New York Freeman's Journal (Feb. 1, 1913).
67 New York Evening Post (January 18, 1913).
68 Before the statue could actually be erected there was a dispute between Le Lyceum, a
society of Frenchwomen in the United States, and the Joan of Arc Statue Committee as to
which group would have the honor of donating the statue to the City. At one point it even
seemed probable that there would be two statues, but happily the Joan of Arc Statue Commit-
tee avoided that eventuality by raising its funds much earlier. For the entire story of this statue
see the local press reports. New York Herald (Dec. 31, 1912); New York Tribune (Jan. 7, 1913);
The Auctioneer (Oct. 6, 1913); New York Herald (June 21, 1914); New York Evening Post (Oct. 10,
1914); New York Sunday Herald (Oct. 25, 1914); New York Evening Post (Dec. 4, 1915); New York
American (Dec. 13, 1915).
88 Medal Commemorating the Dedication of Joan of Arc Park. New York (A circular).
70 The American Numismatic Society. Exhibition of United States and Colonial Coins, January Seven-
teenth to February Eigtheenth 1914. Catalogue (New York 1914).
71 New York Times (Jan. 27, 1914); New York Evening Sun (Jan. 29, 1914); Boston Transcript
(Jan. 31, 1914); Philadelphia Record (Feb. 1, 1914); New York World (Feb. 1, 1914); New York
Independent (Feb. 2, 1914); Philadelphia Star (Feb. 6, 1914); Springfield, Mass. Republican (Feb. 8,
1914); New York Independent (Feb. 9, 1914); Cumberland, Md. Times (Feb. 20, 1914); Christian
Science Monitor (April 18, 1914); Galveston News (Dec. 27, 1914).
72 This exhibition was described in many newspapers across the country. New York Evening
Sun (Mar. 26, 1914); New York Evening Post (Mar. 28, 1914); Christian Science Monitor (April 1,
1914); New York World (April 19, 1914); Brooklyn Daily Eagle (April 26, 1914); Seattle Times
(May 2, 1914); Springfield, Mass. Republican (May 6, 1914); Jersey City Journal (May 8, 1914);
Indianapolis Star (May 21, 1914); Cleveland Plain Dealer (Aug. 7, 1914); Columbus, Ohio, Dis-,
patch (Aug. 22, 1914); Dayton, Ohio, Journal (Aug. 30, 1914); The Philadelphia West, LXIII
No. 2 (Aug. 31, 1914).
n New York World (April 26, 1914); Christian Science Monitor (April 29, 1914); New York
Tribune (May 3, 1914); New York Evening Post (May 5, 1914).
74 New York Evening Mail (June 4, 1915); New York World (June 7, 1915); New York Herald
(June 6, 1915); Newark Evening News (June 5, 1915); Christian Science Monitor (June 10, 1915);
Boston Journal (June 15, 1915).
75 New York American (April 3, 1915); New York Evening Post (April 3, 1915); The Jeweler's
Circular (April 7, 1915), p. 53.
76 The newspapers throughout the country were filled with the story of Huntington's arrest
on August 8th and 9th. New York Evening Telegram; New Orleans States; Lansing, Mich. Journal;
New York Evening Sun; Little Rock, Ark. Democrat; Danville, III. Commercial News; Beaumont, Tex.
Journal; Providence Bulletin, all broke the story on August 8th. The Baltimore Sun; Galveston News;
Boston Sunday American; New Orleans Times-Picayune; Philadelphia Inquirer; Philadelphia Press;
New York World; Philadelphia North American; Muncie, Ind. Star; and Topeka, Kan. Capital, broke
the story on the 9th. Continuations of the coverage until the release of the Huntingtons appear
22
338 NOTES to A New Home and a New Life
in the New York Evening Sun (Aug. 10, 1914); Washington, D. C. Times (Aug. 10, 1914); New
York Herald (Aug. 10, 1914); Philadelphia Ledger (Aug. 11, 1914); New York Telegram (Aug. 15,
1914); New York Telegram (Aug. 24, 1914).
"Newark Evening News (Sept. 23, 1914); New York Staats-^eitung (Sept. 24, 1914) (German
language press); Boston Transcript (Sept. 24, 1914); New York Press (Sept. 24, 1914); Brooklyn
Daily Eagle (Sept. 27, 1914); New York World (Sept. 27, 1914); The Auctioneer (Sept. 29, 1914);
New York Tribune (Oct. 4, 1914); Providence journal (Oct. 4, 1914); New York Globe (Nov. 6,
1914); New York World (Nov. 4, 1914); JV0 York Evening Staats-^eitung (Nov. 4, 1914); Brook-
lyn Eagle (Nov. 6, 1914); New York Sun (Nov. 6, 1914); New York Evening Post (Nov. 6, 1914);
New York Mail (Nov. 9, 1914); New York Evening Sun (Nov. 10, 1914); New York Evening Sun
(Nov. 11, 1914) (a lengthy article on the exhibit of coins and medals of the warring nations);
Philadelphia Bulletin (Feb. 4, 1915); New York Press (April 4, 1915); New York Sun (April 5,
1915); New York Evening Globe (April 6, 1915); Newark Evening News (April 7, 1915); New York
Evening World (July 28, 1915).
78 On this medal see Proceedings (January 21, 1907), pp. 19-20, and Bauman L. Belden,
Medals and Publications of the American Numismatic Society with an Historical Sketch (New York,
1915), pp. 42-43.
79 Letter from Victor D. Brenner to the Society, January 21, 1907.
80 On this medal see the Report of the Committee on the Publication of Medals at the
Fiftieth Annual Meeting. Proceedings (January 20, 1908), pp. 15-18, and Bauman L. Belden,
Medals and Publications of the American Numismatic Society, pp. 44-45.
81 Proceedings (January 20, 1908), p. 17, and Belden, op. cit., pp. 48-49.
88 Letter from Bauman L. Belden to Edward D. Adams, May 14, 1908; also see Proceedings
(January 18, 1909), p. 12.
83 Letter and accompanying sketches from Victor D. Brenner to Bauman L. Belden, Febru-
ary 14, 1908. Apparently the idea for such a model originated before the Fiftieth Anniversary
Meeting.
84 Letter from Adams to Belden, April 23, 1908.
86 Letter from Belden to Adams, April 28, 1908.
86 Letter from Edward D. Adams to Belden, May 12, 1908.
87 Cf. Belden's letter to Brenner, May 14, 1908. Adams to Belden, June 1, 1908, quotes
from the letter from Brenner.
88 Letter from Adams to Belden, June 1, 1908.
88 Cf. L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, Coin-Gem-, and Seal-Engravers, and Mint-
Masters &c. Ancient and Modem with References to their Works B.C. 500-A.D. 1900 (London, 1904),
II, pp. 166-167. Fuchs had also prepared the portrait of Edward VII for the postage stamps
and done portraits of Field Marshal Lord Robert, Admiral Lord Charles Bereford, Governor-
General of Canada, Earl Grey, and Field Marshal Sir George White (defender of Ladysmith).
80 On the general history of this medal see Proceedings (January 18, 1909), pp. 12-13.
91 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society, pp. 46-47.
92 Edward Hageman Hall, The Hudson-Fulton Celebration 1909. The Fourth Annual Report of
the Hudson Fulton Celebration Commission to the Legislature of New York. Transmitted to the Legislature
May twentieth, nineteen ten (Albany, New York; Printed for the State of New York by J. B.
Lyon Company, State Printers, 1910), 2 vols.
93 Proceedings (January 18, 1909), pp. 13-14.
94 All this information regarding the medal is contained in the report of the commission.
Edward Hageman Hall, The Hudson-Fulton Celebration, 1909, I, pp. 75-83.
NOTES to A New Home and a New Life 339
85 On Jules Edouard Roin6 see L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, V, pp.
195-196.
98 Proceedings (January 18, 1909), p. 14.
97 On these medals see Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numis-
matic Society, pp. 52-55.
98 New York Herald (December 21, 1909).
99 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society, pp. 58-59.
100 On Bela Lyon Pratt see L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, IV, p. 684. On the
medal itself see Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society,
pp. 56-57.
101 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of the American Numismatic Society, pp. 60-61.
102 Proceedings (January 20, 1912), p. 15.
103 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society, pp. 62-63.
104 L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, I, pp. 574-577; VI, pp. 315-323; VII,
p. 221.
106 See L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, I (1904), p. 229; VII, pp. 101-102.
100 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society, pp. 64-65.
Also see the circular issued at the time to the subscribers.
107 Hartford Daily Courant (December 14, 1913).
108 Proceedings (January 17, 1914).
109 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society pp. 66-67.
110 A short account of Algernon S. Sullivan's life was given in the Historiographer's report
in Proceedings (March 20, 1888), p. 14.
111 Anne Middleton Holmes, Bulletin of the Algernon Sydney Sullivan Award Established by the
New York Southern Society in Honor of the Society's First President (Concord, 1927).
112 Proceedings (January 15, 1949), p. 51. All the correspondence and papers of agreement
relating to the Sullivan Award and later Sullivan Fund are preserved by the Society.
118 New York Times (May 20, 1914): Brooklyn Standard Union (May 20, 1914); New York
Record and Guide (May 23, 1914).
114 On the gift see Proceedings (January 15, 1906), p. 14. Also see letter from Belden to
Charles Pryer, December 29, 1905, indicating that the gift was actually made in that year
rather than the next.
115 See the letters from Charles Gregory to Belden, January 18, 1906 and January 7, 1907.
118 Proceedings (January 21, 1907), p. 14. Also see letter from Samuel H. Valentine to Belden,
January 8, 1906; and the resolution passed concerning this gift on January 15, 1906.
117 Accession Book, vol. II, pp. 111-112, lists this collection. Lyman H. Low had appraised
the collection at $ 10,000. New York Times (Mar. 7,1908); Charleston Evening Post (April 7, 1908).
118 Cf. New York Sun (February 21, 1951).
111 Letter from Belden to Wood, September 5, 1911. See Wood's answer of September 7,
1911.
180 Letter from Belden to Newell, March 27, 1913. Also see Bauman L. Belden, Medals and
Publications of The American Numismatic Society, p. 15. In all earlier accounts an error was made
in transliterating the name of the collection and it was given as Ro.
121 Proceedings (January 18, 1909), p. 10.
122 Letter from Belden to Pryer, September 24, 1909. Also see letter from Belden to E. D.
Adams, September 27, 1909.
123 Letter from J. Sanford Saltus to Bauman L. Belden, May 2, 1906.
22
340 NOTES to Coming of Age
1S4 Letter from J. Sanford Saltus to Archer M. Huntington, October 22, 1913.
126 Proceedings (January 20, 1912), p. 16. At the time of this bequest, a brother of Mrs. Groh
stated his intention of contesting the will, but apparently nothing came of the attempt.
126 Proceedings (January 21, 1911), p. 18.
127 Letter from Isaac F. Greenwood to Bauman L. Belden, March 7, 1911.
128 Bauman L. Belden, Medals and Publications of The American Numismatic Society, p. 16.
Letter from Belden to Edward D. Adams, August 26, 1911. His benefactions to other organi-
zations such as the New-York Historical Society are also worthy of note. R. W. G. Vail,
Knickerbocker Birthday. A Sesqui-Centennial History of The New-York Historical Society, 18041954
(New York, 1954), p. 218.
128 Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, pp. 358-374.
o Who's Who in New York, 1st ed. (1904), p. 48. On the older Avery sec W. T. Bonnard,
New York the World's Metropolis, p. 275.
131 Christian Science Monitor (May 13, 1914) and twenty-one other papers throughout the
country.
i who's Who in New York, 5th ed. (1911), p. 33.
1M Who's Who in New York, 7th ed. (1918), p. 843. Also see Proceedings (January 15, 1916),
p. 8.
Notes to Coming of Age, 1915-1930
1 New York American (April 3, 1915); New York Evening Post (April 3, 1915).
2 New York (April 4, 1915); New York World (April 5, 1915); New York Sun (April 5, 1915);
New York Evening Globe (April 6, 1915); Newark Evening News (April 7, 1915).
8 On the Iron Crosses see the New York World (May 31, 1915); on the American Peace
Medals see the New York Evening Mail (June 4, 1915); the Newark Evening News (June 5, 1915);
the New York Herald (June 6, 1915); the Christian Science Monitor (June 10, 1915); and the
Boston Journal (June 15, 1915); on the coins of the warring nations see New York World (July 28,
1915).
* Proceedings (January 16, 1915), p. 17.
6 On these new coins see R. S. Yeoman, A Guide Book of United States Coins (8th ed.: Racine,
Wisconsin, 1954), pp. 98, 108 and 121.
6 Proceedings (January 4, 1917), pp. 20-21.
7 Proceedings (January 15, 1916), p. 29.
8 Proceedings (January 20, 1917), pp. 22-23. Belden's letter of resignation states that this
action on his part was taken because of necessity. Letter from Bauman L. Belden to Edward
T. Newell, April 28, 1916.
Letter from the Union Trust Company to Edward T. Newell, August 9, 1916.
10 Proceedings (January 20, 1917), pp. 29-31.
11 Proceedings (January 14, 1928), printed in The Numismatist, XLI, No. 3 (March 1928),
p. 176. On August 11, 1931, Bauman L. Belden died peacefully at his home in Cranford, N. J.
He remained an active participant in the affairs of the Society until his death. New York Times
(August 12, 1931).
12 Letter from William Poillon to Sydney P. Noe, May 18, 1909.
18 Letter from Sydney P. Noe to Bauman L. Belden, October 25, 1915. Also see Proceedings
(January 15, 1916), p. 8.
NOTES to Coming of Age 341
14 Proceedings (January 20, 1917), p. 41.
15 Proceedings (November 18, 1916), p. 16.
16 Proceedings (January 20, 1917), p. 60.
17 Letter from Newell to Noe, November 29, 1918.
18 Proceedings (January 11, 1919), p. 5. A. A. Hopkins of the Scientific American, who was a
member of the Society, took an extremely active part in organizing this exhibition. J. Sanford
Saltus was specifically thanked by the Council for his generous support at the same time that
a resolution was passed expressing the Council's appreciation to Hopkins.
"Proceedings (January 14, 1922), pp. 5-6.
20 Proceedings (January 12, 1924), printed in The Numismatist, XXXVII, No. 3 (March
1924), p. 269.
"Proceedings (January 10, 1925), printed in The Numismatist, XXXVIII, No. 3 (March
1925), p. 152.
22 Proceedings (January 15, 1916), p. 8.
23 Proceedings (January 20, 1917), p. 31.
24 Proceedings (January 12, 1918), p. 6.
25 Ibid., p. 5. The actual amount of the deficit was $220.17.
26 Ibid., p. 8.
27 Letter from Sydney P. Noe to E. D. Adams, May 6, 1918.
28 Letter from Robert Eidlitz to Edward T. Newell read into the Council minutes of July I,
1918.
29 Proceedings (January 9, 1926), pp. 2-3.
30 Letter from Sydney P. Noe to Edward T. Newell, December 28, 1918.
31 Proceedings (January 12, 1918), pp. 12-13.
32 Proceedings (January 14, 1922), p. 11.
33 Letter from F. P. Merritt to the Society, March 12, 1924.
34 Proceedings (January 10, 1931), printed in The Numismatist, XLIV, No. 2 (February 1931),
pp. 126-127. This agreement and the trust fund for the Huntington Free Library and Reading
Room were modified in 1955 so that the volumes on deposit at the Huntington Free Library
were returned to the Society and one quarter of the income from the trust fund was to be paid
directly to the American Numismatic Society to be used for the purchase of new volumes and
the maintenance of its library.
38 Idem.
36 Letter from Sydney P. Noe to Duffield, Editor of The Numismatist, November 24, 1920.
37 Letter from J. M. Swanson, Secretary of the New York Numismatic Club, to Bauman
L. Belden, read into the minutes of March 10, 1922.
38 Letter from J. Sanford Saltus to Archer M. Huntington, October 22, 1913.
39 Proceedings (January 20, 1917), p. 60.
40 Proceedings (January 10, 1920), p. 18.
41 Proceedings (January 8, 1921), p. 73. Also see L. Forrer, Biographical Dictionary of Medal-
lists, VIII, p. 269.
42 Proceedings (January 14, 1922), pp. 51-53.
43 For an obituary giving a full account of Saltus' death see The Numismatist, XXXV, No. 8
(August 1922), pp. 378-379.
44 Idem.
44 Letter from the Reverend Milo H. Gates to Howland Wood, July 6, 1922. He gave the
following description of what, in his opinion, must have occurred. "Mr. Saltus had mixed
342 NOTES to Coining of Age
cyanide of potassium in a tumbler; he had also put a prescription he had for indigestion in a
tumbler exactly like the other one. I saw both glasses. The colour of the liquids in both was
almost alike; in the evening by electric light they must have looked exactly alike. He evidently
went across the room for something and came back to his dressing table and picked up the
poison tumbler by mistake for the tumbler which contained his medicine. Of course the first
drink was instantly fatal."
48 L. Porter, Biographical Dictionary of Medallists, VII, pp. 422-423. Also see the leaflet
published at the time by the Society to advertise this medal. A total of one specimen in gold,
50 copies in silver and 450 in bronze were issued. Proceedings (January 12, 1918), p. 25.
47 Letter from Eli Harvey to Edward Adams, September 5, 1917.
48 Letter from Edward D. Adams to Edward T. Newell, March 29, 1918.
4* On Daniel Chester French see Forrer, op. cit., II, pp. 155-156.
50 On Evelyn B.Longman see Forrer, op. cit., VII, p. 561. Afull description of the medal can
be found in the advertisement published at the time by the Committee on Decorations of the
Society. There were also a number of articles describing it in the local press of the period.
61 On Allen G. Newman see Forrer, op. cit., VIII, p. 95. On the medal itself see the adver-
tisement published at the time by the Committee on the Publication of Medals.
58 For the publication of this piece a special committee was formed which issued a circular
which is still extant.
e* Letters from Saltus to Noe, August 17, 1918; August 19, 1918. Also see the medal account
in a letter from Noe to Saltus, August 20, 1918.
M Letter from Saltus to Wyman, September 15, 1918; letter from Wyman to Saltus, Sep-
tember 16, 1918; Letter from Saltus to Wood, September 20, 1918.
66 Letter from Saltus to Wyman, September 17, 1918; letter from Wyman to Saltus, Sep-
tember 18, 1918.
66 Proceedings, (January 11, 1919), p. 18. Cf. the very frank letter from Noe to Newell, De-
cember 28, 1918. Fifteen sculptors participated.
67 On Chester Beach see L. Forrer, op. cit., VII, p. 58.
*8 See the circular issued by the Committee on the Publication of Medals.
59 This piece also seems to have owed its origin to the generosity of J. Sanford Saltus be-
cause in a letter from Noe to Saltus, January 25,1919, it is stated that Miss Hyatt was planning
her medal and that Saltus had requested that the completion be set for April 15th.
60 Letter from Saltus to Noe, June 7, 1919.
61 Letter from Saltus to Noe, July 10,1919. On John Flanagan see L. Forrer, op. cit., VIII,
p. 308.
62 Circular issued by the Committee on the Publication of Medals.
83 Letter from Noe to Saltus, November 19, 1919.
84 Letters from Saltus to Noe, July 10, 1919; August 11, 1919; September 15, 1919.
85 Telegram from Saltus to Noe, September 28, 1919.
66 Letter from Noe to Saltus, September 29, 1919.
67 A full description of the event was transmitted to Saltus in a letter from Noe, October 6,
1919. The best published account of it appeared in the New York Herald (Oct. 5, 1919), but
it was also noted in the New York Tribune (Oct. 5, 1919); New York Sun (Oct. 5, 1919); and
New York Times of same date.
48 See note 50.
89 Letter from Robert W. De Forest to Edward T. Newell, December 9, 1920.
70 Proceedings (January 8, 1921), pp. 105-106, and Proceedings (January 13, 1923), p. 74.
NOTES to Corning of Age 343
71 Letter from Noe to the Governors of the Society, September 7, 1921.
72 On Robert Aitken see L. Forrer, op. tit., VII, p. 9.
73 Letter from Grover A. Whalen to the Society, September 28, 1921.
71 Proceedings (January 14, 1922), pp. 46-47.
76 Proceedings (January 10, 1925), published in The Numismatist, XXXVIII, No. 3, (March
1925), p. 166.
76 Proceedings (January 9, 1926), p. 57.
77 A description of the obverse which shows an almost complete reticence about the reverse
is to be found in the circular issued by the Society at the time.
78 Proceedings (January 10, 1925), published in The Numismatist, XXXVIII, No. 3, (March
1925), p. 166. On Hermon A. MacNeil see Forrer, op. cit., VIII, pp. 15-16.
79 See the circular issued by the Society at the time.
80 Proceedings (January 12, 1918) p. 24.
81 Proceedings (January 10, 1920), p. 17.
82 Proceedings (January 8, 1921), pp. 7-8. Also see ibid., pp. 103-104.
83 Proceedings (January 14, 1922), pp. 44-45.
84 Proceedings (January 13, 1923), pp. 71-72.
85 Letter from Archer M. Huntington to Edward T. Newell, March 17, 1926, granting
permission for the change in the format.
86 Proceedings (January 12, 1918), pp. 20-21 and The Numismatist, XXXI (1918), p. 277,
which describes the meeting of May 2, 1918 at which this collection was displayed. A general
treatment of the growth of the Oriental collection is to be found in Sydney P. Noe, "The
Mohammedan and Near-Eastern Coins in the Cabinet of The American Numismatic Society,"
The Coin Collector's Journal, VI, No. 2 (July 1939), pp. 60-63.
87 Proceedings (January 12, 1918), pp. 10 and 21.
88 Proceedings (January 8, 1921), p. 77.
89 Proceedings (January 14, 1922), pp. 34-35.
90 The Numismatist, XXXI (1918), p. 395.
91 Proceedings (January 8, 1921), pp. 2 and 19. Also see The Numismatist, XXXIII (1920),
p. 568.
92 Proceedings (January 10, 1920), p. 8.
93 Proceedings (January 8, 1921), p. 77. Also see Sydney P. Noe, "The Mohammedan and
Near-Eastern Coins in the Cabinet of The American Numismatic Society," The Coin Collec-
tor's Journal, VI, No. 2 (July 1939), p. 62.
94 On this collection see David M. Lang, Studies in the Numismatic History of Georgia in Trans-
caucasia, NNM 130 (New York: American Numismatic Society, 1955), p. vii.
95 Proceedings (January 12, 1924), published in The Numismatist, XXXVII, No. 3 (March
1924), p. 265.
96 Proceedings (January 14, 1928), published in The Numismatist, XLI, No. 3 (March 1928),
p. 168.
97 Proceedings (January 12, 1935), p. 11. Also see The Numismatist, XLII (1929), p. 371.
98 Proceedings (January 14, 1922), pp. 53-54.
99 Proceedings (January 10, 1925), printed in The Numismatist, XXXVIII, No. 3 (March,
1925), pp. 152-154.
100 Proceedings (January 14, 1928) printed in The Numismatist, XLI, No. 3 (March 1928),
p. 160.
344 NOTES to The Mature Years
101 Proceedings (January 12, 1929), printed in The Numismatist, XLII, No. 3 (March 1929),
pp. 151-152.
"' New York Sim (November 14, 1930).
Notes to The Mature Years, 1931-1945
1 Proceedings (January 10, 1931), printed in The Numismatist, XLIV, No. 2 (February 1931),
pp. 122-124.
* Alfred R. Bellinger, The Excavation at Dura-Europos. Final Report VI. The Coins (New Haven,
1949).
'Alfred R. Bellinger, Two Roman Hoards from Dura -Europos, NNM 49 (1931); The Third and
Fourth Dura Hoards, NNM 55 (1932); The Sixth, Seventh and Tenth Dura Hoards, NNM 69 (1935);
The Eighth and Ninth Dura Hoards,NNM 85 (1939); Edward T.Newell, The Fifth Dura Hoard,
NNM 58 (1933).
Proceedings (January 9, 1932), published in The Numismatist XLV, No. 2 (February 1932),
pp. 102-103.
6 Edward T. Newell, Two Hoards from Mintumo, NNM 60 (1933).
6 Proceedings (January 12, 1935), p. 5.
''Proceedings (January 10, 1931), printed in The Numismatist, XLIV, No. 2 (February 1931),
p. 132.
8 Rowland Wood, The Gampola Larin Hoard, NNM 61 (1934).
John Walker, The Coinage of the Second Sa/arid Dynasty in Sistan, NNM 72 (1936); Charles
C. Torrey, Aramaic Graffiti on Coins of Dcmanhur, NNM 77 (1937); George C. Miles, The Numis-
matic History of Rayy, Numismatic Studies, No. 2 (1938); George C. Miles, A Byzantine Weight
Validated by al-Walid, NNM 87 (1939).
10 Letter from Harrold E. Gillingham to Archer M. Huntington, March 16, 1933, in the
Council Minutes of April 21, 1933.
11 See the Treasurer's Reports for the years 1932-1933.
12 Edward T. Newell, The Coinage of the Eastern Seleucid Mints from Seleucus I to Antiochus III
(1938); George C. Miles, The Numismatic History of Rayy (1938); Alfred R. Bellinger, The
Syrian Tetradrachms ofCaracalla and Macrinus (1940); Edward T. Newell, The Coins of the Western
Seleucid Mints from Seleucus I to Antiochus III (1941); and Jocelyn M. C Toynbee, Roman Medal-
lions (1944).
13 Sydney P. Noe, The Alexander Coinage of Sicyon Arranged from Notes of Edward T. Newell
with Comments and Additions by Sydney P. Noe, Numismatic Studies, No. 6 (New York, 1950).
"The Numismatist, LI, No. 2 (February 1938), p. 128.
"Proceedings (January 13, 1938), pp. 1-9.
"Ibid., p. 6.
17 Proceedings (January 13, 1938), pp. 6-7.
18 Proceedings (January 10, 1931), printed in The Numismatist, XLIV, No. 2 (February 1931),
p. 124.
"Proceedings (January 12, 1935), pp. 5-6.
20 Proceedings (January 11, 1936), p. 5.
21 Donald F. Brown, Temples of Rome as Coin Types, NNM 90 (1940); Bluma L. Trell, The
Temple of Artemis at Ephesos, NNM 107 (1945).
NOTES to The Mature Years 345
22 On this attempt to prepare a new version of the Architectura Numismatica see Proceedings
(Jan. 14, 1939), pp. 8-9, as well as Proceedings (Jan. 11, 1941), p. 43.
23 Proceedings (January 14,1933). printed in The Numismatist, XLVI, No. 2 (February 1933),
p. 112. Also see John C. Fitzpatrick, "The Story of the Order of the Purple Heart," History
of the George Washington Bicentennial Celebration (Washington, 1932), III, pp. 705-715.
24 See the circular issued by the Society to advertise this medal.
26 Proceedings (January 15, 1938), pp. 9-10. Cf. Ibid., (January 14, 1939), pp. 4-5.
26 Proceedings (January 14, 1939), p. 10.
27 Proceedings (January 8, 1921), pp. 6-7.
28 Rowland Wood, The Gampola Larin Hoard, NNM 61 (New York, 1934).
28 See also Proceedings (January 13, 1934), p. 12.
30 For a full description of the important accessions of this year see Ibid., pp. 12-13.
31 "Medal For The Unknown Washroom Warrior," The Numismatist, XLVI, No. 11 (No-
vember 1933), pp. 704-705.
82 Proceedings (January 11, 1936), p. 12.
33 Edward T. Newell, Reattribution of Certain Tetradrachms of Alexander the Great (New York,
1912), reprinted from a series of articles which appeared in American Journal of Numismatics,
XLV-XLVI (1911-1912), and Edward T. Newell, Alexander Hoards-II, Demanhur Hoard,
NNM 19 (New York, 1923).
84 Proceedings (January 11, 1936).
36 O. P. Eklund and Sydney P. Noc, Hacienda Tokens of Mexico, NNM 115 (New York, 1949).
36 On the death of these two men see Proceedings (January 9, 1937), pp. 2-4. An appreciation
of the extent of the two donations made in memory of these men can be seen in the Report of
the Committee on Ancient Coins at the Annual Meeting of 1938.
37 A synopsis of that address was published in The Numismatist, XXXI, No. 4 (April 1918),
pp. 181-182.
38 See the obituary for John Reilly, Jr., in The Numismatist, XLIV, No. 3 (March 1931),
pp. 204-205.
38 Cf. A note by Farran Zerbe in The Numismatist, XLIV, No. 3 (March 1931), p. 205.
40 After her marriage Miss Reilly became Mrs. E. N. Baynes.
41 H. F. Bowker, A Numismatic Bibliography of the Far East, NNM 101 (New York 1943),
and Yu-ch'uan Wang, Early Chinese Coinage, NNM 122 (New York 1951).
42 Proceedings (January 11, 1947), pp. 2 and 14.
43 On this gift see Proceedings (January 15, 1938), p. 5.
41 Proceedings (January 11, 1936), p. 2.
46 On this collection see Proceedings (January 11, 1941), pp. 2 and 13.
46 Proceedings (January 11, 1941), p. 35, and Proceedings (January 12, 1951), p. 22.
47 Proceedings (January 11, 1941), pp. 4 and 18.
48 Jean B. Cammann, The Symbols on Staters of Corinthian Type (A Catalogue), NNM 53 (New
York, 1932).
49 This bibliography was published in The Numismatist, LIV, No. 4 (April 1941), pp. 268-
269. The most extensive bibliography, which includes Newell's book reviews, appeared in the
review of his Byzantine Hoard of Lagbe (NNM 105), by Paul Clement in the American Journal of
Philology, LXVIII (1947), pp. 426-432.
60 See particularly the obituaries in The Numismatist, LIV, No. 4 (April 1941), pp. 267-9,
and The Coin Collector's Journal, VIII, No. 4 (April 1941), p. 50.
61 Proceedings (January 9, 1943), pp. 1-2.
346 NOTES to The Peak
"Sydney P. Noe, The Castine Deposit: An American Hoard, NNM 100 (New York 1942). In
succeeding years Noe was to produce three other monographs devoted to the Willow Tree,
Oak Tree, and Pine Tree coinages.
"Proceedings (January 10, 1942), p. 9 and Proceedings (January 10, 1948), p. 48.
M Proceedings (January 10, 1942), pp. 13-14.
56 Proceedings (Januarys, 1927), printed in The Numismatist, XL, No. 2 (February 1927),
p. 96.
60 Proceedings (January 10, 1942), p. 2.
67 Ibid., p. 14.
68 Notes on the Decorations and Medals of the French Colonies and Protectorates, NNM 36
(New York, 1928); South American Decorations and War Medals, NNM 56 (New York, 1922);
Ephemeral Decorations, NNM 66 (New York, 1935); Mexican Decorations of Honour, NNM 89
(New York, 1940).
"Proceedings (January 14, 1933), printed in The Numismatist, XLVI. No. 2 (February 1933),
p. 108, and Proceedings (January 13, 1945), p. 51.
Notes to The Peak, 1945-1958
1 Presidential Address by President Dewing. Proceedings (January 10, 1948), p. 1.
2 On NewelPs death see the preceding chapter and the obituary notices which appeared in
The Numismatist, LIV, No. 4 (April 1941), pp. 267-269, and The Coin Collector's Journal, VIII,
No. 4 (April 1941), p. 50.
8 The actual figure of 87,603 pieces in the Newell Collection was given in the report of the
Curator. Proceedings (January 13, 1945), p. 35. It is there stated that "There are a little over
60,000 Greek coins, 23,087 Roman coins, 1,752 Byzantine pieces, while miscellaneous groups
raise the grand total to 87,603."
4 Proceedings (January 13, 1945), pp. 9-30.
6 Proceedings (January 12, 1946), p. 2.
6 Proceedings (January 15, 1949), p. 1.
7 Proceedings (January 13, 1951), p. 5.
8 Proceedings (January 13, 1945), p. 31.
8 Proceedings (January 11, 1947), pp. 1-2; also see Proceedings (January 10, 1948), pp. 2
and 27.
10 Proceedings (January 11, 1947), p. 15.
11 Proceedings (January 12, 1952), p. 19.
12 Letter from Archer M. Huntington to Louis C. West, March 9, 1949.
13 Letter from Archer M. Huntington to President Herbert E. Ives, June 12, 1946.
14 Proceedings (January 10, 1948), pp. 10-12.
16 Proceedings (January 11, 1947), p. 2.
18 Proceedings (January 15, 1949), pp. 19 and 21.
17 Proceedings (January 14, 1950).
18 Proceedings (January 13, 1951), p. 11.
19 Proceedings (January 16, 1954), p. 6.
20 Proceedings (January 14, 1956), pp. 21-22.
21 Proceedings (January 15, 1949), p. 26.
NOTES to The Peak 347
22 Proceedings (January 13, 1951), p. 24.
"Proceedings (January 12, 1957), pp. 10, 19, 23, 25, 31 and 32.
24 Proceedings (January 14, 1956), p. 10.
26 Proceedings (January 12, 1957), p. 8.
26 Proceedings (January 10, 1948), p. 3. Cf. the Report of the Finance Committee. Ibid.,
pp. 7-9. In that report the fact is noted that approximately half of the income came from the
dividends of the one block of stock received as a gift in 1946.
27 Proceedings (January 14, 1950), p. 13.
28 Proceedings (Januay 13, 1951), pp. 11-12 and 27.
"Proceedings (January 12, 1952), p. 1.
30 Proceedings (January 16, 1954), p. 4.
31 Proceedings (January 13, 1940), p. 49.
32 Proceedings (January 10, 1942), p. 52.
33 Proceedings (January 11, 1947), p. 8.
"Idem.
35 Proceedings (January 12, 1918), p. 8.
38 The new Constitution and By-Laws were published in Proceedings (January 10,1948),
pp. 52-67. This first amendment is recorded in Proceedings (January 15, 1949), p. 38.
37 Proceedings (January 15, 1949), p. 39.
38 See the Directory of American Scholars (3rd ed.).
39 This action was brought to the attention of the members at the Annual Meeting of 1950
when it was also announced that the Council had determined to close the Museum on Mon-
days and to'remain open on the other five weekdays. At the same time the Fellows of the Society
were asked to approve an increase in the annual dues for Fellows and Associate Members.
Proceedings (January 14, 1950), p. 6.
40 See President Ives' speech at the Annual Meeting in 1945. Proceedings (January 13, 1945),
pp. 7-8.
41 Proceedings (January 12, 1946), pp. 4-5. Cf. Ibid., pp. 25-27.
42 Letter from C. H. V. Sutherland to Sawyer McA. Mosser, November 29, 1947.
43 Letter from Nils Ludvig Rasmusson to Sawyer McA. Mosser, June 7, 1947.
44 Proceedings (January 10, 1948), pp. 22-23.
46 Proceedings (January 13, 1951), pp. 18-19.
46 Proceedings (January 10, 1953), pp. 17-18.
47 President Ives' thoughts on the subject as expressed in his Presidential Address as well
as the circular were published in Proceedings (January 15, 1944), pp. 7-10.
48 Proceedings (January 13, 1945), pp. 6-7.
48 On this Seminar see Proceedings (January 12, 1952), p. 3, and the final report of the
program in Numismatic Literature, No. 21 (October 1952), pp. 198-9.
80 Letter from Prof. Henri Seyrig to Louis C. West, October 24, 1954; letter from Prof.
Ernst Kantorowicz to Louis C. West, January 8, 1954; letter from Prof. George M. A. Hanf-
mann to Louis C. West January 8, 1954.
51 Proceedings (January 14, 1956), p. 7.
62 Letter from Archer M. Huntington to Louis C. West, March 9, 1949.
348 OFFICERS AND STAFF
PRESIDENTS
Isaac Hand Gibbs, M.D., April 13, 1858 to November 3, 1858
Robert J. Dodge, November 3, 1858 to March 11, 1864
Frank H. Norton, March 11, 1864 to April 25, 1867
Charles E. Anthon, April 25, 1867 to May 9, 1867
Elisha Y. Ten Eyck, May 9, 1867 to March 26, 1868
Charles E. Anthon, March 26, 1868 to March 24, 1870
Benjamin Betts, March 24, 1870 to March 27, 1873
Charles E. Anthon, March 27, 1873 to October 1, 1883
Daniel Parish, Jr., October 1, 1883 to March 16, 1896
Andrew C. Zabriskie, March 16, 1896 to January 16, 1905
Archer M. Huntington, January 16, 1905 to December 20, 1909
There were no Presidents in the years 1910 to 1915 inclusive.
Edward T. Newell, January 28, 1916 to February 18, 1941
Stephen H. P. Pell, February 18, 1941 to January 10, 1942
Herbert E. Ives, January 10, 1942 to January 11, 1947
Arthur S. Dewing, January 11, 1947 to January 15, 1949
Louis C. West, January 15, 1949 to date
HONORARY PRESIDENTS
Archer M. Huntington, January 14, 1922 to December 11, 1955
Stephen H. P. Pell, January 15, 1949 to June 22, 1950
FIRST VICE-PRESIDENTS
Henry Whitmore, April 13, 1858 to November 3, 1858
Henry Bogert, November 3, 1858 to March 11, 1864
George H. Perine, M.D., March 11, 1864 to March 25, 1869
OFFICERS AND STAFF 349
Benjamin Betts, March 25, 1869 to March 24, 1870
Daniel Parish, Jr., March 24, 1870 to March 27, 1873
Benjamin Betts, March 27, 1873 to March 26, 1874
Daniel Parish, Jr., March 26, 1874 to March 16, 1875
Gen. John Watts de Peyster, March 16, 1875 to June 4, 1875
Frederic J. de Peyster, June 4, 1875 to March 21, 1876
Daniel Parish, Jr., March 21, 1876 to March 18, 1879
Alexander Balmanno, March 18, 1879 to March 16, 1880
Daniel Parish, Jr., March 16, 1880 to March 18, 1884
Andrew C. Zabriskie, March 18, 1864 to March 16, 1896
John M. Dodd, Jr., March 16, 1896 to March 21, 1898
Henry Russell Drowne, March 21, 1898 to January 19, 1903
Woodbury G. Langdon, January 19, 1903 to January 16, 1905
Daniel Parish, Jr., January 16, 1905 to December 20, 1909
There were no Vice-Presidents in the years 1910 to 1941 inclusive.
Stephen H. P. Pell, January 10, 1942 to January 11, 1947
Louis C. West, January 11, 1947 to January 15, 1949
A. Carson Simpson, January 15, 1949 to January 11, 1958
Samuel R. Milbank, January 11, 1958 to date
SECOND VICE-PRESIDENTS
Isaac J. Greenwood, July 28, 1864 to March 22, 1866
John F. McCoy, March 22, 1866 to March 29, 1867
William C. Prime, March 29, 1867 to March 26, 1868
Charles H. Homer, March 26, 1868 to March 25, 1869
William B. Dick, March 25, 1869 to March 24, 1870
James M. Bailey, March 24, 1870 to March 27, 1873
350 OFFICERS AND STAFF
Daniel Parish, Jr., March 27, 1873 to March 26, 1874
Frederic J. de Peyster, March 21, 1876 to March 18, 1879
Daniel Parish, Jr., March 18, 1879 to March 16, 1880
Robert Hewitt, Jr., March 16, 1880 to March 18, 1884
John M. Dodd, Jr., March 18, 1884 to March 17, 1885
Frank Abbott, M.D., March 17, 1885 to March 16, 1886
David L. Walter, March 16, 1886 to March 15, 1887
William Poillon, A.M., March 15, 1887 to March 19, 1894
John M. Dodd, Jr., March 19, 1894 to March 16, 1896
Henry Russell Drowne, March 16, 1896 to March 21, 1898
Woodbury G. Langdon, March 21, 1898 to January 19, 1903
Richard Hoe Lawrence, January 19, 1903, to January 21, 1907
J. Sanford Saltus, January 21, 1907 to December 20, 1909
There were no Vice-Presidents in the years 1910 to 1941 inclusive.
Harrold E. Gillingham, January 10, 1942 to January 12, 1946
Samuel R. Milbank, January 12, 1946 to January 11, 1958
A. Carson Simpson, to January 11, 1958 to date
THIRD VICE-PRESIDENTS
Robert L. Stuart, March 16, 1875 to March 21, 1876
Alexander Balmanno, March 21, 1876 to March 18, 1879
Frederic J. de Peyster, March 18, 1879, to March 16, 1880
Andrew C. Zabriskie, March 16, 1880 to March 18, 1884
Robert, Hewitt, Jr. March 18, 1884 to March 17, 1885
David L. Walter, March 17, 1885 to March 16, 1886
William Poillon, March 16, 1886 to March 15, 1887
James Oliver, March 15, 1887 to March 17, 1890
OFFICERS AND STAFF 351
David L. Walter, March 17, 1890 to March 21, 1892
John M. Dodd, Jr., March 21, 1892 to March 20, 1893
There were no Third Vice-Presidents in the years 1894 to 1941 inclusive.
George W. Husker, January 10, 1942 to January 9, 1943
Douglas P. Dickie, January 9, 1943 to January 15, 1944
Arthur S. Dewing, January 15, 1944 to January 12, 1946
Louis C. West, January 12, 1946 to January 11, 1947
Stephen H. P. Pell, January 11, 1947 to January 15, 1949
Damon G. Douglas, January 15, 1949 to January 15, 1955
Wheaton J. Lane, January 15, 1955 to date
FOURTH VICE-PRESIDENTS
David L. Walter, March 15, 1887 to March 17, 1890
James Oliver, March 17, 1890 to March 16, 1891
SECRETARIES
William Poillon, A.M., March 26, 1874 to March 16, 1886
Henry Russell Drowne, March 16, 1886 to March 16, 1896
Bauman L. Belden, March 16, 1896 to January 19, 1903
John Kensett Olyphant, January 19, 1903 to November 16, 1903
Alfred J. Bloor, November 16, 1903 to January 16, 1905
Bauman L. Belden, January 16, 1905 to January 15, 1916
Henry Russell Drowne, January 15, 1916 to January 20, 1917
Sydney P. Noe, January 20, 1917 to April 15, 1947
Sawyer McA. Mosser, April 16, 1947 to date
ASSISTANT SECRETARY
Raymond E. Main, July 11, 1953 to date
352 OFFICERS AND STAFF
RECORDING SECRETARIES
James Oliver, April 13, 1858 to March 25, 1869
James Muhlenburg Bailey, March 25, 1869 to March 24, 1870
Abraham Redlich, March 24, 1870 to March 27, 1873
William Poillon, March 27, 1873 to March 26, 1874
CORRESPONDING SECRETARIES
Augustus B. Sage, April 13, 1858 to November 3, 1858
Frank H. Norton, November 3, 1858 to March 11, 1864
F. Augustus Wood, March 11, 1864 to October 12, 1865
Daniel Parish, Jr., October 12, 1865 to March 22, 1866
F. Augustus Wood, March 22, 1866 to May 24, 1866
Charles De F. Burns, May 24, 1866 to March 29, 1867
Charles E. Anthon, March 29, 1867 to March 26, 1868
Robert Hewitt, Jr., March 26, 1868 to March 25, 1869
John A. Nexsen, March 25, 1869 to March 24, 1870
Loring Watson, March 24, 1870 to March 27, 1873
Walter Tounele, March 19, 1894 to March 15, 1897
J. Sanford Saltus, March 15, 1897 to March 21, 1898
George F. Kunz, March 21, 1898 to March 19, 1900
J. Sanford Saltus, March 19, 1900 to January 16, 1905
Henry Russell Drowne, January 16, 1905 to February 10, 1910
DOMESTIC CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Henry Russell Drowne, February 21, 1910 to January 27, 1915
FOREIGN CORRESPONDING SECRETARY
Edward T. Newell, February 21, 1910 to January 27, 1915
OFFICERS AND STAFF 353
TREASURERS
Theophilus W. Lawrence, April 13, 1858 to November 3, 1858
William S. F. Mayers, November 3, 1858 to February 17, 1859
Frank H. Joudon, February 17, 1859 to March 11, 1864
John Hanna, March 11, 1864 to March 29, 1867
Elisha Y. Ten Eyck, March 29, 1867 to May 9, 1867
Joseph N. T. Levick, May 9, 1867 to March 26, 1874
Benjamin Betts, March 26, 1874 to March 19, 1889
Charles Pryer, March 19, 1889 to January 27, 1915
John Reilly, Jr., January 27, 1915 to September 19,1924
Harrold E. Gillingham, September 19, 1924 to January 14, 1939
Samuel R. Milbank, January 14, 1939 to January 14, 1940
Central Hanover Bank and Trust Co., January 14, 1940 to January 13, 1951
The Hanover Bank, January 13, 1951 to date
HISTORIOGRAPHERS
William R. Weeks, March 18, 1884 to March 17, 1885
Henry Russell Drowne, March 17, 1885 to March 16, 1886
Charles Pryer, March 16, 1886 to March 19, 1889
William R. Weeks, March 19, 1889 to March 18, 1895
William Poillon, March 18, 1895 to January 21, 1907
Charles G. Dodd, January 21, 1907 to January 18, 1909
ACTUARY
James D. Foskett, April 13, 1858 to?
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Sawyer McA. Mosser, January 22, 1955 to date
354 OFFICERS AND STAFF
CURATORS
Charles H. Wright, March 19, 1894 to March 15, 1897
Edward Groh, March 15, 1897 to January 16, 1905
William Poillon, January 16, 1905 to January 17, 1910
Agnes Baldwin, January 17, 1910 to January 25, 1913
Rowland Wood, January 25, 1913 to January 14, 1938
Sydney P. Noe, January 15, 1938 to April 15, 1947
CHIEF CURATORS
Sydney P. Noe, April 16, 1947 to August 31, 1953
Georges C. Miles, September 1, 1954 to date
CHIEF CURATOR EMERITUS
Sydney P. Noe, September 1, 1953 to date
ASSISTANT CURATORS
Arthur C. Wyman, January 18, 1921 to January 11, 1926
Robert Robertson, January 1, 1927 to January 22, 1937
William L. Clark, March 22, 1937 to April 15, 1947
ASSOCIATE CURATOR
Agnes Baldwin Brett, January 11, 1936 to January 14, 1956
HONORARY CURATOR FOR MOHAMMEDAN COINS
George C. Miles, January 13, 1940 to January 11, 1947
CURATOR OF ISLAMIC COINS
George C. Miles, August 15, 1946 to January 12, 1952
OFFICERS AND STAFF 355
DIRECTOR OF ISLAMIC AND HISPANIC STUDIES
Georges C. Miles, January 12, 1952 to January 16, 1954
CURATOR OF FAR EASTERN COINS
Yu-ch'uan Wang, January 10, 1948 to January 14, 1950
CURATOR OF MEDALS
Richard D. Kenney, January 14, 1946 to January 10, 1953
CURATOR OF MEDIAEVAL AND MODERN COINS
William L. Clark, April 16, 1947 to date
CURATOR OF GREEK COINS
Sydney P. Noe, April 16, 1947 to January' 10, 1953
Margaret Thompson, January 15, 1954 to date
ASSISTANT CURATOR OF GREEK COINS
Margaret Thompson, September 1, 1949 to January 15, 1954
CURATOR OF ROMAN AND BYZANTINE COINS
Aline Abaecherli Boyce, April 16, 1947 to November 1, 1956
George L. Kustas, June 18, 1957 to September 1, 1958
ASSISTANT TO THE CURATOR
Aline Abaecherli Boyce, January 12, 1946 to April 15, 1947
HONORARY CURATOR OF NEWELL COLLECTION
Mrs. Edward T. (Adra M.) Newell, January 10, 1942 to date
23
356 OFFICERS AND STAFF
ASSISTANT IN ANCIENT COINS
Elaine Pond, January 15, 1949 to January 14, 1950
ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF CURATOR
Henry Grunthal, June 23, 1953 to date
CURATORS OF NUMISMATICS
James D. Foskett, September 14, 1858 to November 3, 1858
Augustus B. Sage, November 3, 1858 to January 6, 1859
William L. Bramhall, January 6, 1859 to April 7, 1859
Edward Groh, April 7, 1859 to March 18, 1879
Richard Hoe Lawrence, March 18, 1879 to March 16, 1880
Charles H. Wright, March 16, 1880 to March 19, 1894
CURATORS OF ARCHAEOLOGY
Henry de Morgan, March 18, 1884 to March 17, 1885
Gaston L. Feuardent, March 17, 1885 to March 20, 1888
Joseph Wiener, M.D., March 20, 1888 to March 17, 1890
Edward Groh, March 17, 1890 to November 16, 1891
Herbert Valentine, November 16, 1891 to March 19, 1894
LIBRARIANS
James D. Foskett, November 3, 1858 to March 11, 1864
Edward Groh, March 11, 1864 to February 9, 1865
Frank Leathe, February 9, 1865 to March 22, 1866
Daniel Parish, Jr., March 22, 1866 to March 25, 1869
Isaac Francis Wood, March 25, 1869 to March 16, 1880
Richard Hoe Lawrence, March 16, 1880 to March 16, 1886
OFFICERS AND STAFF 357
Lyman H. Low, March 16, 1886 to November 16, 1891
Bauman Lowe Belderi, November 16, 1891 to March 16, 1896
Herbert Valentine, March 16, 1896 to January 16, 1905
Charles G. Dodd, January 16, 1905 to January 15, 1906
S. Whitney Dunscomb, Jr., January 15, 1906 to January 20, 1908
William R. Weeks, January 20, 1908 to February 18, 1911
A.H. Cooper-Prichard, February 16, 1911 to January 25, 1913
Alexander D. Savage, January 25, 1913 to January 27, 1915
Sydney P. Noe, January 27, 1915 to January 15, 1938
Sawyer McA. Mosser, January 15, 1938 to April 16, 1947
H. Alan Steeves, Jr., April 16, 1947 to February 1, 1948
Richard P. Breaden, February 16, 1948 to date
ASSISTANT LIBRARIANS
Sawyer McA. Mosser, September 2, 1930 to January 14, 1938
H. Alan Steeves, Jr., April 1, 1946 to April 15, 1947
John J. Buckley, January 10, 1948 to January 15, 1949
Barbara Peet Lynch, January 15, 1949 to January 12, 1952
Edwin W. Tomlinson, January 12, 1952 to January 10, 1953
Geoffrey H. North, January 10, 1953 to date
EDITORS
Sydney P. Noe, October 1, 1921 to January 13, 1945
Alfred R. Bellinger, January 13, 1945 to January 3, 1947
Sawyer McA. Mosser, January 4, 1947 to date
358 OFFICERS AND STAFF
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Howard L. Adelson, October 16, 1953 to January 14, 1956
ASSOCIATE EDITORS
Rowland Wood, October 1, 1921 to January 4, 1938
Sawyer McA. Mosser, January 15, 1938 to January 4, 1947
Howard L. Adelson, January 14, 1956 to date
THE COUNCIL 359
COUNCIL OF ADMINISTRATION
Term beginning January 15, 1906
Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., Richard Hoe Law-
rence, Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, Charles
Pryer, S. Whitney Dunscomb, Jr., William Poillon, J. Sanford
Saltus, Edward D. Adams, and Newell Martin.
Term beginning January 21, 1907
Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., J. Sanford Saltus,
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, Charles Pryer,
S. Whitney Dunscomb, Jr., William Poillon, Edward D. Adams,
Newell Martin, and George Bird Grinnell
Term beginning January 20, 1908
Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., J. Sanford Saltus,
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, Charles Pryer,
William Raymond Weeks, William Poillon, Edward D. Adams,
Newell Martin, and George Bird Grinnell.
Term beginning January 18, 1909
Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., J. Sanford Saltus,
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, Charles Pryer,
William Raymond Weeks, William Poillon, Edward D. Adams,
Newell Martin, and George Bird Grinnell.
Term beginning January 17, 1910
Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., J. Sanford Saltus,
Edward D. Adams, William Poillon, Edward Robinson, Bau-
man Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, Charles Pryer,
William B. Osgood Field, Frank A. Vanderlip, John I. Waterbury
Newell Martin, Edward T. Newell, and William R. Weeks.
Term beginning January 21, 1911
Charles G. Dodd, Newell Martin, Edward T. Newell, Daniel
Parish Jr., Archer M. Huntington, J. Sanford Saltus, Edward D.
Adams, Henry Russell Drowne, William Poillon, Edward Robin-
son, Bauman Lowe Belden, Charles Pryer, William B. Osgood
Field, Frank A. Vanderlip, and John I. Waterbury.
360 THE COUNCIL
Term beginning January 20, 1912
William B. Osgood Field, Frank A. Vanderlip, John I. Water-
bury, Charles G. Dodd, Newell Martin, Edward T. Newell,
Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., J. Sanford Saltus,
Edward D. Adams, William Poillon, Edward Robinson, Bau-
man Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, and Charles Pryer.
Term beginning January 25, 1913
William B. Osgood Field, Frank A. Vanderlip, John I. Water-
bury, Charles G. Dodd, Newell Martin, Edward T. Newell, Ar-
cher M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., J. Sanford Saltus,
Edward D. Adams, William Poillon, Edward Robinson, Bauman
Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, and Charles Pryer.
Term beginning January 17, 1914
Edward D. Adams, William Poillon, Edward Robinson, Bau-
man Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, Charles Pryer,
William B. Osgood Field, Frank A. Vanderlip, John. I. Water-
bury, Charles G. Dodd, Newell Martin, Edward T. Newell,
Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr., and J. Sanford Saltus.
Term beginning January 16, 1915
Archer M. Huntington, J. Sanford Saltus, William H. Woodin,
Edward D. Adams, William Poillon, Edward Robinson, Bauman
Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, Charles Pryer, William B.
Osgood Field, John Reilly, Jr., John I. Waterbury, Newell Mar-
tin, Edward T. Newell, and Elliott Smith.
Term beginning January 15, 1916
Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, Archer
M. Huntington, J. Sanford Saltus, William H. Woodin, Edward
D. Adams, William Poillon, Edward Robinson, Bauman Lowe
Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, Charles Pryer, William B. Osgood
Field, John Reilly, Jr., and John I. Waterbury.
Term beginning January 20, 1917
F.C.C. Boyd, John Reilly, Jr., John I. Waterbury, Robert
James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W. Gedney
Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin, Edward
D. Adams, William Poillon, Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry
Russell Drowne, and Stephen H.P. Pell.
THE COUNCIL 361
Term beginning January 12, 1918
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, W. Oilman Thomp-
son, Robert Jame,s. Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith,
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Os-
good Field, W. Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William
H. Woodin, F.C.C. Boyd, John Reilly, Jr., John I. Waterbury,
J. Sanford Saltus,* and Edward D. Adams.*
Term beginning January 11, 1919
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, W. Oilman Thomp-
son, Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith,
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Os-
good Field, W. Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William
H. Woodin, F.C.C. Boyd, John Reilly, Jr., John I. Waterbury,
J. Sanford Saltus,* and Edward D. Adams.*
Term beginning January 10, 1920
W. Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
F.C.C. Boyd, John Reilly, Jr., John I. Waterbury, Harrold E.
Gillingham, Stephen H. P. Pell, W. Gilman Thompson, Robert
James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, Bauman Lowe
Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field. J.
Sanford Saltus,* and Edward D. Adams.*
Term beginning January 18, 1921
Robert J. Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W. Gedney
Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin, Harrold E.
Gillingham, W. Gilman Thompson, Stephen H.P. Pell, Bauman
Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field,
F.C.C. Boyd, John Reilly, Jr., John I. Waterbury, J. Sanford
Saltus,* and Edward D. Adams.*
Term beginning January 14, 1922
John Reilly, Jr., James B. Nies, Herbert Scoville, Robert James
Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W. Gedney Beatty, W.
Gilman Thompson, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
Henry Russell Drowne, Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H. P.
Pell, Bauman Lowe Belden, William B. Osgood Field, and Ed-
ward D. Adams.*
* Councillors for life.
362 THE COUNCIL
Term beginning January 13, 1923
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Os-
good Field, John Reilly, Jr., Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville,
Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W.
Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, John W. Garrett,
and Edward D. Adams.*
Term beginning January 13, 1924
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Os-
good Field, John Reilly, Jr., Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville,
Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W.
Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, John W. Garrett,
and Edward D. Adams.*
Term beginning January 22, 1925
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Os-
good Field, John Reilly, Jr., Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville,
Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W.
Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, John W. Garrett,
and Edward D. Adams.*
Term beginning January 9, 1926
Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W.
Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P.Pell, Johm W. Garrett,
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Os-
good Field, John Reilly, Jr., Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville,
Edward D. Adams,* and John I. Waterbury.*
Term beginning January 14, 1927
Bauman Lowe Belden, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Os-
good Field, John Reilly, Jr., Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville,
Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W.
Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H. P. Pell, John W. Garrett,
Edward D. Adams,* and John I. Waterbury.*
* Honorary Councillors for Life.
THE COUNCIL 363
Term beginning January 14, 1928
William B. Osgood Field, Henry Russell Browne, Hoyt Miller,
John Reilly, Jr., Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville, Robert J.
Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, W. Gedney Beatty,
Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin, Harrold Gilling-
ham, Stephen H.P.Pell, John W. Garrett. Edward D. Adams,*
John I. Waterbury,* and Bauman L. Belden.*
Term beginning January 12, 1929
Harrold Gillingham, Henry R. Drowne, Stephen H.P.Pell, John
W. Garrett, William B.Osgood Field, Hoyt Miller, John Reilly, Jr.,
Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville, Robert J. Eidlitz, Edward T.
Newell, Elliott Smith, W. Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington,
William H. Woodin, Edward B. Adams,* John W. Garrett,*
and Bauman L. Belden.*
Term beginning January 11,1930
W. Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P.Pell, William B. Osgood
Field, Henry Russell Browne, Hoyt Miller, John Reilly, Jr., Al-
bert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville, John W. Garrett,* Edward D.
Adams,* and Bauman L. Belden.*
Term beginning January 10, 1931
Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, Moritz Wormser, Robert J.
Eidlitz, W. Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H.
Woodin, Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P.Pell, William B.
Osgood Field, Henry Russell Browne, Hoyt Miller, John Reilly,
Jr., Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville. John W. Garrett,* and
Bauman L. Belden.*
Term beginning January 9, 1932
Herbert Scoville, Albert Gallatin, De Witt Clinton Falls, Edward
T. Newell, Elliott Smith, Moritz Wormser, Robert James Eidlitz,
W. Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, William B. Osgood
Field, Henry Russell Drowne, Hoyt Miller.and John W.
Garrett.*
* Honorary Councillors for Life.
364 THE COUNCIL
Term beginning January 14, 1933
Hoyt Miller, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field,
Herbert Scoville, Albert Gallatin, DeWitt Clinton Falls,
Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, Moritz Wormser, Robert J.
Eidlitz, W. Gedney Beatty, Archer M. Huntington, William H.
Woodin, Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, and John
W. Garrett.*
Term beginning January 13, 1934
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, Moritz Wormser,
Hoyt Miller, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field,
DeWitt Clinton Falls, Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville,
Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, Herbert
E. Ives, Archer M. Huntington, William H. Woodin, and John
W. Garrett.*
Term beginning January 12, 1935
Herbert E. Ives, Archer M. Huntington, T. K. Schmuck, Har-
rold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, Moritz Wormser, Hoyt
Miller, William B. Osgood Field, DeWitt Clinton Falls, Albert
Gallatin, Herbert Scoville, Robert James Eidlitz, Edward T.
Newell, Elliott Smith, and John W. Garrett.*
Term beginning January 11,1936
Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, Herbert E. Winlock, Herbert
E. Ives, Archer M. Huntington, T.K.. Schmuck, Harrold E. Gil-
lingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, Moritz Wormser, Hoyt Miller,
William B. Osgood Field, Samuel R. Milbank, DeWitt Clinton
Falls, Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville, and John W. Garrett.*
Term beginning January 11, 1937
DeWitt Clinton Falls, Albert Gallatin, Herbert Scoville, Ed-
ward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, Herbert E. Winlock, Herbert E.
Ives, Archer M. Huntington, T.K. Schmuck, Harrold E. Gilling-
ham, Stephen H.P.Pell, Moritz Wormser, Hoyt Miller, Wil-
liam B. Osgood Field, Samuel R. Milbank, and John W. Garrett.*
Term beginning January 15, 1938
Hoyt Miller, William B. Osgood Field, Samuel R. Milbank,
Shepard Pond, Albert Gallatin, George H. Sullivan, Edward T.
*Honorary Councillors for Life.
THE COUNCIL 365
Newell, T.K. Schmuck, Elliott Smith, Herbert E. Winlock,
Herbert E. Ives, Archer M. Huntington, Harrold E. Gilling-
ham, Stephen H.P. Pell, Mortiz Wormser, and John W. Garrett.*
Term beginning January 14, 1939
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, Moritz Wormser,
Hoyt Miller, William B. Osgood Field, Samuel R. Milbank,
Shepard Pond, Albert Gallatin, George H. Sullivan, Edward T.
Newell, Elliott Smith, Herbert E. Winlock, Herbert E. Ives,
Archer M. Huntington, T.K. Schmuck, and John W. Garrett.*
Term beginning January 14, 1940
Herbert E. Ives, Archer M. Huntington, Douglas P. Dickie,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H. P. Pell, Moritz Wormser,
Hoyt Miller, William B. Osgood Field, Samuel R. Milbank,
Shepard Pond, Albert Gallatin, George H. Sullivan, Edward T.
Newell, Elliott Smith, Herbert E. Winlock, and John W. Garrett.*
Term beginning January 11, 1941
Edward T. Newell, Elliott Smith, T. Leslie Shear, Herbert E.
Ives, Archer M. Huntington, Douglas P. Dickie, Harrold E. Gil-
lingham, Stephen H. P. Pell, George W. Husker, Hoyt Miller,
William B. Osgood Field, Samuel R. Milbank, Shepard Pond,
Albert Gallatin, George H. Sullivan, John W. Garrett,* and
Herbert E. Winlock.*
Term beginning January 10, 1942
Shepard Pond, Albert Gallatin, George H. Sullivan, Arthur S.
Dewing, Elliott Smith, T. Leslie Shear, Herbert E. Ives, George
W. Husker, Archer M. Huntington, Douglas P. Dickie, Harrold
E. Gillingham, Stephen H.P. Pell, Hoyt Miller, William B. Os-
good Field, Samuel R. Milbank, John W. Garrett,* and Her-
bert Winlock.*
Term beginning January 9, 1943
Hoyt Miller, William B. Osgood Field, Samuel R. Milbank,
Louis C. West, Shepard Pond, George H. Sullivan, Arthur S.
Dewing, Elliott Smith, T. Leslie Shear, Herbert E. Ives, Archer
M. Huntington, Douglas P. Dickie, Harrold E. Gillingham,
Stephen H. P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson, Albert Gallatin,* and
Herbert E. Winlock.*
* Honorary Councillors for Life.
366 THE COUNCIL
Term beginning January 15, 1944
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H. P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson,
Hoyt Miller, Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Shepard
Pond, Louis C. West, George H. Sullivan, Arthur S. Dewing,
Alfred R. Bellinger, T. Leslie Shear, Herbert E. Ives, Archer M.
Huntington, Douglas P. Dickie. William B. Osgood Field,*
Elliott Smith,* Albert Gallatin,* and Herbert Winlock.*
Term beginning January 13, 1945
Herbert E. Ives, Archer M. Huntington, Douglas P. Dickie,
Harrold E. Gillingham, Stephen H. P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson,
Hoyt Miller, Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Shepard
Pond, Louis C. West, George H. Sullivan, Arthur S. Dewing,
Alfred R. Bellinger, T. Leslie Shear. Wm. B. Osgood Field,*
Albert Gallatin,* and Herbert E. Winlock.*
Term beginning January 12, 1946
Arthur S. Dewing, Alfred R. Bellinger, Frederick M. Watkins,
Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives, Douglas P. Dickie, Jo-
seph C. Hostetler, Stephen H.P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson, Hoyt
Miller, Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Lewis M.
Reagan, Louis C. West, George H. Sullivan, Wm. B. Osgood
Field,* Albert Gallatin,* Harrold E. Gillingham,* and Herbert
Winlock.*
Term beginning January 11, 1947
Robert I. Nesmith, Louis C. West, George H. Sullivan, Arthur
S. Dewing, Alfred R. Bellinger, Benjamin D. Merritt, Herbert E.
Ives, Archer M. Huntington, Douglas P. Dickie, Joseph C. Hos-
tetler, Stephen H.P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson, Hoyt Miller,
Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Wm. B. Osgood Field,*
Albert Gallatin,* H.E. Gillingham,* and Herbert Winlock.*
Term beginning January 10, 1948
Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller, Robert I.
Nesmith, George H. Sullivan, Louis C. West, Alfred R. Bellinger,
Arthur S. Dewing, Robert B. Warren, Douglas P. Dickie, Archer
M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives, Joseph C. Hostetler, Stephen
H.P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson, Wm. B. Osgood Field,* Albert
Gallatin,* Harrold E. Gillingham,* and Herbert E. Winlock.*
* Honorary Councillors for Life.
THE COUNCIL 367
Term beginning January 15, 1949
Joseph C. Hostetler, Stephen H.P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson, Louis
C. West, Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller,
George H. Sullivan, Robert I. Nesmith, Alfred Bellinger, Arthur
S. Dewing, Robert B. Warren, Douglas P. Dickie, Archer M.
Huntington, Herbert E. Ives, William B. Osgood Field,* Herbert
E. Winlock,* Harrold E. Gillingham,* and Albert Gallatin.*
Term beginning January 14, 1950
Douglas P. Dickie, Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives,
Joseph C. Hostetler, Stephen H.P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson,
Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller, Robert I.
Nesmith, Alfred M. Friend, Jr., Louis C. West, Alfred R. Bellin-
ger, Arthur S. Dewing, Robert B. Warren. Harrold E. Gilling-
ham,* Albert Gallatin,* and George H. Sullivan.*
Term beginning January 13, 1951
Alfred R. Bellinger, Arthur S. Dewing, William H. Dillistin,
Douglas P. Dickie, Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives,
Louis C. West, Joseph C. Hostetler, A. Carson Simpson, Maxime
A. Velay, Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller,
Albert M. Friend, Jr., Robert I. Nesmith, Albert Gallatin,*
Harrold E. Gillingham,* and George H. Sullivan.*
Term beginning January 12, 1952
Albert M. Friend, Jr., Robert I. Nesmith, Louis C. West, Alfred
R. Bellinger, Arthur S. Dewing, William H. Dillistin, Douglas P.
Dickie, Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives, Joseph C. Hos-
tetler, A. Carson Simpson, Maxime A. Velay, Damon G. Dou-
glas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller, Albert Gallatin,* George
H. Sullivan,* and Harrold E. Gillingham.*
Term beginning January 10, 1953
Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller, Alfred M.
Friend, Jr., Robert I. Nesmith, Louis C. West, Alfred R. Bellin-
ger, A. Carson Simpson, William H. Dillistin, Arthur S. Dew-
ing, Archer M. Huntington, Joseph C. Hostetler, Maxime A.
Velay, Albert Gallatin,* Harrold E. Gillingham,* and George
H. Sullivan.*
* Honorary Councillors for Life.
368 THE COUNCIL
Term beginning January 16, 1954
Joseph C. Hostetler, A. Carson Simpson, Maxime A. Velay,
Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller, Albert M.
Friend, Jr., Robert I. Nesmith, Louis C. West, Alfred R. Bellin-
ger, Arthur S. Dewing, William H. Dillistin, Archer M. Hunt-
ington, Harald Ingholt, Wheaton J. Lane, Albert Gallatin,*
and George H. Sullivan.*
Term beginning January 15, 1955
Archer M. Huntington, Harald Ingholt, Wheaton J. Lane, Fre-
derick M. Watkins, A. Carson Simpson, Maxime A. Velay,
Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller, Albert M.
Friend, Jr., Louis C. West, Robert I. Nesmith, Alfred R. Bellin-
ger, Arthur S. Dewing, William H. Dillistin, Albert Gallatin,*
and George H. Sullivan.*
Term beginning January 14, 1956
Alfred R. Bellinger, Arthur S. Dewing, William H. Dillistin,
Harald Ingholt, Wheaton J. Lane, Baldwin Maull, Frederick M.
Watkins, A. Carson Simpson, Maxime A. Velay, Damon G.
Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller, Albert M. Friend,
Jr., Louis C. West, Robert I. Nesmith, Albert Gallatin,* and
George H. Sullivan.*
Term beginning January 12, 1957
Robert I. Nesmith, Erik Sjoqvist, Louis C. West, Alfred R. Bel-
linger, Arthur S. Dewing, William H. Dillistin, Harald Ingholt,
Wheaton J. Lane, Baldwin Maull, Frederick M. Watkins, A.
Carson Simpson, Maxime A. Velay, Damon G. Douglas, Samuel
R. Milbank, Hoyt Miller, and Albert Gallatin.*
Term beginning January 11, 1958
Damon G. Douglas, Samuel R. Milbank, Cornelius C. Ver-
meule, III, Robert I. Nesmith, Erik Sjoqvist, Louis C. West,
Alfred R. Bellinger, Arthur S. Dewing, William H. Dillistin,
Harald Ingholt, Wheaton J. Lane, Baldwin Maull, Frederick
M. Watkins, A. Carson Simpson, Maxime A. Velay, and Albert
Gallatin.*
* Honorary Councillors for Life.
GOVERNORS 369
GOVERNORS
Term beginning February 21, 1910
Edward D. Adams, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood
Field, Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr.
Term beginning February 18, 1911
Edward D. Adams, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood
Field, Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr.
Term beginning February 17, 1912
Edward D. Adams, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood
Field, Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr.
Term beginning January 25, 1913
Edward D. Adams, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood
Field, Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr.
Term beginning January 21, 1914
Edward D. Adams, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood
Field, Archer M. Huntington, Daniel Parish, Jr.
Term beginning January 27, 1915
Edward D. Adams, Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood
Field, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 28, 1916
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
Term beginning January 20, 1917
Henry Russell Drowne, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T.
Newell, John Reilly, Jr., John I. Waterbury.
Term beginning January 12, 1918
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
Term beginning January 11, 1919
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
Term beginning January 10, 1920
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
24
370 GOVERNORS
Term beginning January 18, 1921
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
Term beginning January 14, 1922
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
Term beginning January 13, 1923
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
Term beginning January 13, 1924
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
Term beginning January 22, 1925
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Archer M.
Huntington, Edward T. Newell, John Reilly, Jr.
Term beginning January 9, 1926
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 14, 1927
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 14, 1928
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 12, 1929
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 11, 1930
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 10, 1931
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
GOVERNORS 371
Term beginning January 9, 1932
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 14, 1933
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 13, 1934
Henry Russell Drowne, William B. Osgood Field, Albert Galla-
tin, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 12, 1935
William B. Osgood Field, Albert Gallatin, Harrold E. Gilling-
liarn. Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 11, 1936
William B. Osgood Field, Albert Gallatin, Harrold E. Gilling-
ham, Archer M. Huntington, Edward T. Newell.
Term beginning January 11, 1937
Albert Gallatin, Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Hunting-
ton, Edward T. Newell, Herbert E. Winlock
Term beginning January 15, 1938
Albert Gallatin, Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Hunting-
ton, Edward T. Newell, Stephen H.P.Pell.
Term beginning January 14, 1939
Albert Gallatin, Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Hunting-
ton, Edward T. Newell, Stephen H.P. Pell.
Term beginning January 14, 1940
Albert Gallatin, Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Hunting-
ton, Edward T. Newell, Stephen H.P. Pell.
Term beginning January 11, 1941
Albert Gallatin, Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Hunting-
ton, Edward T. Newell, Stephen H.P. Pell.
Term beginning January 10, 1942
Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives,
Samuel R. Milbank, Stephen H.P. Pell.
372 GOVERNORS
Term beginning January 9, 1943
Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives,
Samuel R. Milbank, Stephen H.P. Pell.
Term beginning January 15, 1944
Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives,
Stephen H.P.Pell, Shepard Pond.
Term beginning January 13, 1945
Harrold E. Gillingham, Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives,
Stephen H.P. Pell, Shepard Pond.
Term beginning January 12, 1946
Arthur S. Dewing, Archer M. Huntington, Herbert E. Ives,
Stephen H.P. Pell, Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 11, 1947
Arthur S. Dewing, Archer M. Huntington, Samuel R. Milbank,
Stephen H.P. Pell, Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 10, 1948
Arthur S. Dewing, Archer M. Huntington, Samuel R. Milbank,
Stephen H.P. Pell, Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 15, 1949
Damon G. Douglas, Archer M. Huntington, Samuel R. Milbank,
Stephen H.P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson, Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 14, 1950
Damon G. Douglas, Archer M. Huntington, Samuel R. Milbank,
Stephen H.P. Pell, A. Carson Simpson, Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 13, 1951
Damon G. Douglas, Archer M. Huntington, Samuel R. Milbank,
A. Carson Simpson, Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 12, 1952
Damon G. Douglas, Archer M. Huntington, Samuel R. Milbank,
A. Carson Simpson, Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 10, 1953
Damon G. Douglas, Archer M. Huntington, Samuel R. Milbank,
A. Carson Simpson, Louis C. West.
COUNCIL COMMITTEES 373
Term beginning January 16, 1954
Damon G. Douglas, Archer M. Huntington, Samuel R. Milbank,
A. Carson Simpson, Louis C. West.
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Term beginning January 15, 1955
Louis C. West, A. Carson Simpson, Samuel R. Milbank, Whea-
tonj. Lane, Arthur S. Dewing, Archer M. Huntington.
Term beginning January 14, 1956
Louis C. West, A. Carson Simpson, Samuel R. Milbank, Wheaton
J. Lane, Arthur S. Dewing.
Term beginning January 12, 1957
Louis C. West, A. Carson Simpson, Samuel R. Milbank, Whea-
ton J. Lane, Arthur S. Dewing.
Term beginning January 11, 1958
Louis C. West, Samuel R. Milbank, A. Carson Simpson, Whea-
ton J. Lane, Arthur S. Dewing.
FINANCE COMMITTEE
Term beginning January 15, 1955
Samuel R. Milbank, Wheaton J. Lane, A. Carson Simpson,
Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 14, 1956
Samuel R. Milbank, Wheaton J. Lane, A. Carson Simpson,
Louis C. West.
Term beginning January 12, 1957
Samuel R. Milbank, Wheaton J. Lane, A. Carson Simpson,
Louis C. West
Term beginning January 11,1958
Samuel R. Milbank, Wheaton J. Lane, Baldwin Maull, Louis
C. West.
374 HUNTINGTON MEDAL AWARD
ARCHER M. HUNTINGTON MEDAL AWARD
Edward T. Newell 1918
Mrs. Agnes Baldwin Brett 1919
Howland Wood 1920
Jean N. Svoronos 1921
Ernest Babelon 1922
Sir George F. Hill 1923
Albert R. Frey 1924
Sir George Macdonald 1925
Jose Toribio Medina 1926
Robert James Eidlitz 1927
Edouard von Zambaur 1928
Kurt Regling 1929
Bauman L. Belden 1930
Harrold E. Gillingham 1931
Adolph Dieudonne 1932
Wilhelm Kubitschek 1933
Adrien Blanchet 1934
E. Stanley G. Robinson 1935
John Allan 1936
Sydney P. Noe 1937
Harold Mattingly 1938
Sir Arthur J. Evans 1940
Albert Gallatin 1941
Alfred R. Bellinger 1943
J. Grafton Milne 1944
A. F. Pradeau 1945
Max Bernhart 1946
Richard Bertram Whitehead 1947
J. W. E. Pearce 1948
George C. Miles 1949
C. H. V. Sutherland 1950
Henri Seyrig 1952
Walter Havernick 1953
Charles T. Seltman 1954
John Walker 1955
Jocelyn M. C. Toynbee 1956
Arthur Suhle 1957
SALTUS MEDAL AWARD 375
J. SANFORD SALTUS MEDAL AWARD
James E. Eraser 1919
A. A. Weinman 1920
John Flanagan 1921
Victor D. Brenner 1922
Hermon A. MacNeil 1923
Paul Manship 1925
Mrs. Laura G. Fraser 1926
Anthony de Francisci 1927
Edward W. Sawyer 1931
Lee Lawrie 1937
Chester Beach Ig46
Henry Kreis 1948
C. P. Jennewein 1949
Gertrude K. Lathrop 1950
Albert Laessle 1951
Bruce Moore 1952
Walker Hancock 1953
Sidney Waugh 1954
Theodore Spicer-Simson 1955
Thomas G. Lo Medico 1956
376 BENEFACTORS
BENEFACTORS
Samuel P. Avery 1916
W. Gedney Beatty 1941
F. C. C. Boyd 1956
Helen L. Boyd 1957
Mrs. Emma B. Brunner 1938
Catherine E. Bullowa 1957
David M. Bullowa 1953
Jean B. Cammann 1955
George H. Clapp 1937
Robert J. Eidlitz 1935
Sadie B. (Mrs. Robert J.) Eidlitz 1940
DeWitt Clinton Falls 1938
Arthur J.Fecht 1948
William B. Osgood Field 1946
James B. Ford 1926
Edward Cans 1957
Harrold E. Gillingham 1937
Anna Hyatt (Mrs. Archer M.) Huntington 1943
Arabella D. (Mrs. H. E.) Huntington 1906
Archer M. Huntington 1906
Herbert E. Ives 1954
Hoyt Miller 1957
Adra M. (Mrs. Edward T.) Newell 1952
Edward T. Newell 1918
Daniel Parish, Jr. 1908
Wayte Raymond 1950
Miss Frances S. (Mrs. E. N. Baynes) Reilly 1938
J. Sanford Saltus 1909
Louis H. Schroeder 1946
Herbert Scoville 1937
PATRONS
377
PATRONS
Edward D. Adams
F. L. Baer
John H. Ballantine, Jr.
Rachel T. Harrington
P. Hackley Barhydt
William P. Beaver
Harold Wilmerding Bell
Burton Y. Berry
F. C. C. Boydt
Richard P. Breaden
Catherine E. Bullowa
David M. Bullowa
Mrs. Helen C. Chapman
William L. Clark
Jay B. Cornell
Henry Russell Drowne
Jerome M. Eisenberg
O. P. Eklund
James W. Ellsworth
De Witt Endicott
Mrs. George Endicott
William B. Osgood Field
Albert Gallatin
Isaac E. Gates
Howard D. Gibbs
Mrs. Albert E. Goodhart
Edward Gordon
Isaac J. Greenwood
Charles Gregory
Henry Grunthal
Christian G. Gunther
Julius Guttag
Mrs. George L. Hamilton
Mortimer Hammel
Edwin Hawley
Herbert E. Ives
Emil W. Kohn,
Martin F. Kortjohn
Richard H. Lawrence
Mrs. Richard H. Lawrence
1906
1949
1945
1927
1912
1919
1946
1950
1950
1955
1955
1946
1948
1955
1912
1926
1954
1947
1907
1935
1935
1920
1929
1906
1943
1937
1952
1907
1906
1951
1951
1934
1951
1946
1906
1937
1943
1949
1906
1937
378 PATRONS
PATRONS
Frank I. Liveright 1925
Thomas O. Mabbott 1952
Paul Manship 1929
Alastair B. Martin 1955
Emerson McMillin 1914
Ferriss P. Merritt 1924
Samuel R. Milbank 1954
Hoyt Miller 1928
B. Morgenthau 1948
Robert I. Nesmith 1957
Adra M. (Mrs. Edward T.) Newell 1925
James B. Nies 1922
R. Henry Norweb 1957
Mrs. R. Henry Norweb 1956
Alexandre Orlowski 1948
Stephen H. P. Pell 1915
William R. Powell 1920
Henry A. Ramsden 1913
Wayte Raymond 1930
Alfred Z. Reed 1949
ReillyJohn.Jr. 1928
Robert Robertson 1930
Medora S. (Mrs. J. Sanford) Saltus 1906
Mortimer L. Schiff 1906
Max M. Schwartz 1957
Henri Seyrig 1945
A. Carson Simpson 1953
Elliott Smith 1925
Inc. Stack's 1957
Foster Stearns 1951
George H. Sullivan 1939
W. Oilman Thompson 1928
Herbert Valentine 1912
Felix M. Warburg 1906
Casey A. Wood 1933
Rowland Wood 1919
William H. Woodin 1922
Charles M. Wormser 1950
Arthur C. Wyman 1937
Farran Zerbe 1947
INDEX
Italic numerals refer to illustrations facing the pages designated.
Aboukir medallions, 189
Academy of Medicine Building, 106, 113,
114, 115, 116, 116, 117
Adams, Edgar H., 152, 154
Adams, Edward D., 119, 120, 121, 133, 156,
166, 176, 178, 186, 192, 217
Adams, Herbert, 149, 166
Adelson, Howard L., viii, 296, 303
Ahlborn, Madam Lea, 102, 103, 113, 126
Aitken, Robert, 224
Albert, King of the Belgians, 204, 218, 220,
222
Alexander, John W., 166, 169
Alfoldi, Andreas, 277
Alfonso XIII, King of Spain, 218
Ali Shar (coins from), 240
Alliance Frangaise, 224
American Academy of Arts and Letters, 140,
224, 233, 236
American Council of Learned Societies, 247
American Geographical Society, 24, 73, 74,
84, 140
American Journal of Numismatics, 21, 52, 53, 56,
57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 65, 66, 67, 86,
126, 150, 151, 226, 227, 228, 229, 244
American Numismatic and Archaeological
Society, see also American Numismatic
Society, 10, 11,34, 144
American Numismatic Association, 152,
(1910 Convention): 160, 163, 164; 165,
202, 211, 212, (1922 Nat'l Convention):
253, 302
American Numismatic Series, 152
American Numismatic Society, see also Amer-
ican Numismatic and Archaeological So-
ciety, 11, 34, 140, 149, 156, 158, 164
Building improvement, 284, 285, 286, 288,
289, 304
Change in character, 276
Change in name, 157, 158, 253
Coin Cabinet, 30, 145, 150, 234, 246
Collections: (Mickley), 6; (Atkinson), 14;
(Yale), 27; (Groh), 16; (State seals), 66;
(Carranza electrotypes), 105; (R. H.
Lawrence books), 125; (American in-
signia), 139; (St. Joan medals), 169;
(Oettinger), 192; (W. R. Powell), 202;
(Durkee, Oriental), 230; (Newell-Wood,
Far Eastern), 230; (Newell-Valentine
Coll.), 230; (Powell), 231; (Beaver), 231;
(Hoernle), 232; (Starosselsky), 232;
(Nies), 232; (Longworth), 232; (Wy-
man), 232, 262; (Liveright), 232; War-
burg), 232; Guttag-coin press), 233;
(Stevenson plaque), 255; (Gampola
Hoard), 257; (Chinese gold and silver
bars), 260, (Reilly), 262; (E. P. Robin-
son), 263; (George H. Clapp), 263; (Sco-
ville), 263; (Eidlitz architectural medals)
264; (George W. Husker), 264; (John
F. Jones), 264; (Newell Coll.), 268;
(Beatty), 268; (Fecht), 277; (Field), 277;
(Schroeder), 278; (Strauss), 278; (His-
panic Society), 278,279; (Persianhoard),
281; (Ives Coll.), 282; (Cammann Coll.),
282; (F. C. C. Boyd), 283; (C. Wyllys
Betts), 283
Donations: (Balfour) 1st donor, 30; (Endi-
cott) pattern guinea, medals, 30, 31;
(Groh), 139; (Saltus) Eagle coins, 156;
(Gregory) Far Eastern coins, 188; (Va-
lentine) U.S. coins, 188; (Lovett) med-
als, 188; (Raymond) Athenian deka-
drachm, 189, 281; (Huntington) medals,
189; (Saltus-Huntington) decorations,
war medals, Higgins Coll., 189; Lo Coll.,
190; (Huntington) Bryant Coll., paper
money, 190; (Parish) coins and medals,
190; (Saltus) Confederate half-dollar etc.,
191; (Greenwood) coins, medals, notes
and library, 192; Oettinger Coll., 192;
Eight thaler piece of Charles X, Gustavus
379
38o
INDEX
ofSweden, 193; (Powell Coll.), 202, 231;
(W. P. Beaver), 231; (Hoernle), 232;
(Gen. Starosselsky), 232; (Nies), 232;
(Longworth Dames), 232; (Liveright),
232; (FelixWarburg), 232; (Guttag),
233; (Newell bequest), 255, 265; Steven-
son plaque, 255, 256; (Dr. Casey Wood),
Gampola Hoard, 257; (Kunz bequest),
257; (Schnakenberg Memorial) Euro-
pean coins, 260; (F. Munroe Endicott),
260; (O. P. Eklund), parts of, 261;
(Richard Hoe Lawrence) Roman coins,
261; (Miss Frances Reilly) Reilly Coll.,
262; (George H. Clapp) E. P. Robinson
Co., 263, 269; (Scoville bequest), 263;
(Mrs. R. J. Eidlitz) Eidlitz Coll., 264;
(G. W. Husker), 264; (Mrs. E. T.
Newell-Mrs. G. P. Cammann) John
F.Jones Coll., 264; (E. T. Newell Coll.),
268; (Beatty bequest), Greek coins,268;
(Robinson-Becker) forgeries, 269; (J. J.
Rorimer), 269; (Barnes), 269; (Kohn)
medals, 269; (Gillingham), 270; (Fecht),
277; (Field), 277; (Schroeder) Strauss
Coll., 278; (Huntington) Maurice Gau-
tier Coll., 280; (Ives), 282; (Cammann
Coll.), 282; (Boyd), 283; (C. W. Betts),
283
Committees: American Archaeology, 66;
American Medals, 159; Ancient Coins,
159; Building, 146, 148, 233; Buildings
and Grounds, 159; By-Laws, 12, 17, 19,
20,21,35; Coins, 19; Finance, 49,50,204,
205, 288; Foreign Archaeology, 66;
Foreign Coins and Medals, 159, 203;
Foreign Medals, 159; Incorporation, 22,
23, 39, 40; Insignia, 139, 142; Library,
19, 29, 107, 142, 159; Masonic Medals
and Tokens, 159; Medals, 19, 132, 133,
219; Membership, 199; New Coinage
Design, 130, 155, 156, 157; Numismatic,
107, 142; Oriental Coins, 159, 230;
Paper Money, 159; Papers and Ex-
hibitions, 167, 199; Papers and Publi-
cations, 107; Publication, 151, 226, 227,
228,298,301; Publication ofMedals, 171,
173, 178, 214; Publicity, 199; Reorgani-
zation, 289, 290, 291, 295; RoomCom-
mittee, 105, 106, 107; Transactions, 19;
United States Coins, 196
Constitution and By-Laws, 12, 13, 17, 19,
20, 21, 35, 38, 39, 56, 66, 71, 72, 124,
143, 159, 162, 196, 199, 266, 287, 291,
292, 293, 294
Council ofAdministration, 143, 162, 245,
252, 254, 266, 279
ANS Exhibitions: (British Mus. Electrotypes),
104; (Columbian), 126-127; (Paris Ex-
position), 137-138; (Benjamin Franklin),
163; (MedallicArt), 161, 165-166; (Trou-
betzkoy), 167; (Private gold coins), 167;
(Cariati), 168; (St. Joan), 168-169; (U.S.
and Colonial coins), 170; (Paper Money),
170; (Mexican coin), 170; (Indian Peace
Medals), 170; (Bismarck Medals), 171;
(Medals &Insignia ofbravery &American
Decorations) ,171; (Bismarck, American war
Medals, Iron Crosses, Indian Peace Med-
als, coins ofwarring nations), 195; (Paper
money), 200; (Eagle coins), 201; (Clare
Sheridan sculpture), 201; (Luther Refor-
mation Medals), 201; (U.S. uniform
decorations etc.), 201; (Powell Coll.), 202;
(U.S. coins, tokens, medals), 202; (Med-
als by sculptors), 202; (European medals);
203; (special exhibit for ANA Convention),
212; (display at International Exhibition
ofPersian Art, Royal Academy, London),
241; (Augustus Exhibition), 247, 251;
(Coinage ofthe Americas), 267; Oriental
Coins, 275-276; (International Exhibition
ofMedals in Madrid), 276
Fellowships, 305
Fiftieth Anniversary, 148, 175, 176
Finances, 21, 22, 25, 108, 116, 146, 147,
149, 203, 204, 206, 207, 208, 209, 210,
211, 228, 236, 238, 243, 244, 263, 267,
268, 273, 283, 284, 285, 302
First Director, 159
Founded, 11; Founders, 13
Library, 29, 65, 66, 69, 70, 99, 125, 198,
204, 209, 210, 234, 239, 261, 272, 273,
285,295
Medals: (To Gus For Valor), 10,20; (Sage),
INDEX
38i
10, 20; (Lincoln), 44-55, 64; (Member-
ship), 78-81, 96; (Chamber ofCom-
merce), 84, 124; (Anthon), 102-3; (Par-
ish), 725, 126; (Columbus), 127; (St.
Luke's Hospital), 130, 132; (Grant's
Tomb), 130-1, 132; (Charities and Cor-
rections), 131, 133; (Charter Day-
Greater New York), 131-2, 140; (Prince
Henry ofPrussia), 132, 140; (Americus
Vespuccius), 133, 141; (International
Numismatic Congress), 164, 165, 185;
(International Medallic Exhibition), 161,
165, 184; (Joan ofArc), 170; (Hunting-
ton), 170,172, 176-7; (John Paul Jones),
765, 171-3; (Sir Francis Drake), 772,
173-5; (Hudson-Fulton), 177-180, 180;
(Cleveland), 180, 182; (Archdiocese of
NYC), 773, 182; (Lincoln Plaque), 773,
183; (New Theatre), 757, 183; (new
Membership Medal), 757, 184; (Saltus
Award), 185, 189; (Morgan), 186, 189;
(Declaration ofWar), 196, 215-6; (St.
Bartholomew), 757, 216; (Catskill Aque-
duct), 797,216; (WarCommissions), 217;
(Independence Day), 217-8; (King and
Queen ofBelgians), 204, 218; (Peace of
Versailles), 204, 219; (Joan ofArc), 205,
220; (Prince ofWales), 272, 220-1; (Red
Cross), 273, 223; (Choate), 273, 223;
(Cardinal Mercier), 223; (Foch), 220,
223-1; (Paul Revere), 220, 224-5; (Ter-
centenary, Purchase ofManhattan Is.),
227, 225; (G. Washington Sesquicenten-
nial), 235, 250
Meeting places, 11, 20, 23, 24, 33, 34, 35,
70, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76, 77, 106, 111, 772,
114, 115, 143, 144, 145, 146, 147, 148,
149, 304
Museumbuilding completed, 148
New building, 230, 237, 235, 236
Membership, 76, 77, 79, 116, 123, 124, 205,
230, 276
Certificate of, 25, 36
Pin and badge of, 765, 175
Objectives, 18
Photographic facilities, 274
Reorganization, 142, 143, 289, 290, 291
Seal, 25, 35, 36, 37, 38, 160; motto, 158
Summer Seminar, 303, 304, 305
American Oriental Society, 275
American Scenic and Historic Preservation
Society, 168
Americus Vespuccius Medal, 133, 141
Anderson, William, 43
Andrew, A. Piatt, 166, 200
Annuaire de la Societtfranfaise de numismatique et
d'arMologie, 55, 56
Anthon, Charles E., 35, 36, 37, 51, 52, 55,58,
59,60, 61, 62, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71, 72, 74, 78,
80, 81, 84, 89, 91, 97, 101, 103
Anthon Medal, 102, 103, 773
Antiquarian and Numismatic Society of
Montreal, 246
Applegate, J. Henry, Jr., 49, 64
Appleton, WilliamSummer, 62, 63, 65
Archaeological collection, 68, 70, 71, 99, 100
Archdiocese ofNew York Medal, 773, 182
Architectura Numismatica, T. L. Donaldson, 249
Architectural League ofNew York, 129, 214
Aristidean, A Magazine ofReviews, Politics, and
Light Literature, 15
Astor Library, 4, 20, 21
Athenian dekadrachm, 188, 189, 280
Athole, George C., 75
Atkinson, Asher T., 12, 13, 149
Audubon, John James, 144
Audubon Park, 144
Audubon Terrace, 145, 224, 234; iron gate
and fence, 286
Augustus 1 inn i lion limn Exhibition, 247, 251
Avery, Samuel P. Jr., 188, 193
Avery, Samuel P. Sr., 193
Avery (Samuel P.) Fund, 193, 203
Babelon, Ernest, 151, 165, 185
Backus, Henry Clinton, 120, 144, 145
Baker, DeVere W., 275
Balfour, Arthur James, 217
Balfour, David M., 30
Bancroft, George, 47, 48
Barber, Charles E., 101, 102
Barber, WilliamF., 46, 47, 155
Barhydt, Parish Hackley, 139
Barnes, Henry B., 269
382
INDEX
Beach, Chester, 149, 219
Beatty, W. Gedney, 210, 214, 268
Beatty (W. Gedney) Purchase Fund, 210, 268
Beaver, WilliamP., 231
Bechtler coin press, 230, 233
Beekman, Gerard Jr., 120, 122
Beisan, finds from, 241
Belden, Bauman L., 121, 132, 138, 141, 143,
144,145, 147, 149, 151, 152, 158, 159, 163,
164, 168, 176, 190, 191, 197, 198, 199, 200,
203, 208, 229, 232, 233, 257
Bellinger, Alfred, 238, 240, 241, 245, 274,
297, 298
Ben Bolt, 14
Beth-Shan, coins from, 240
Beth-Zur, coins from, 240
Betts, Benjamin, 67, 71, 72, 73, 81, 96, 102,
108, 121, 149
Betts, C. Wyllys, 283, 318
Bible House, 23, 28, 29
Bibliography ofGreek Coin Hoards: S. P. Noe,
242
Bloor, Alfred J., 119, 121, 132
Borglum, Gutzon, 184
Bosselt, Rudolf, 185
Boston Numismatic Society, 26, 47, 57, 62,
63, 82, 149
Boston Public Library, 169
Boughton, Alfred, 13
Boyce, Aline Abaecherli, 275
Boyd, Frederick C. C., 283
Bramhall, WilliamLeggett, 22, 28, 30
Breaden, Richard P., 295
Brenner, Victor D., 131, 132, 133, 133, 136,
137, 138, 149, 152, 153, 155, 156, 158, 171,
173, 175
Brett, Agnes (Baldwin), 152, 159, 160, 161,
165, 167, 203, 209, 227, 229, 273, 307
Brewer, Fiske P., 27
Brewer, Josiah, 27
Bridges, G. T. M., 217
Brinton, Christian, 167
British and French War Commissions Medal,
217
British Museum, 86, 89, 90, 91, 93, 104
British Numismatic Society, 214, 218
Brock, R. C. H., 189
Brooklyn Museum, 169
Brown, Mortimer S., 24, 33
Browning, J. Hull, 132, 134
Brunner, Emma, 263
Bryant Collection ofPaper Money, 190
Buckley, John J., 290
Bullowa, Catherine E. (Mrs. David M.), 281
Bullowa, David M., 281
Burglary, 252
Burns, Charles DeF., 43
Bushnell, Charles I., 10, 11
Cammann Collection, 282
Cammann, Jean B. (Mrs. George P.), 264,
265, 282
Cannon, Henry W., 178
Cariati, Giovanni, 168
Carranza, Carlos, 104, 105
Catacombs Hoard, 261
Catskill Aqueduct Medal, 197, 216, 217
Century Association, 223
Cesnola Collection, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 95,
98
Cesnola, Luigi Palma di, 84,85,86, 87, 88, 89,
91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 98
Chamber ofCommerce ofthe State ofNew
York, medal, 84, 124
Champion, Henry, 40, 41
Changes in American monetary system, 7,8,9
Charities and Corrections, Twenty-fifth Na-
tional Conference of, 131; medal of, 131,
133
Chicago Numismatic and Archaeological
Society, 26, 155
Choate, Joseph Hodges, medal of213, 223
Chow Dynasty, 260
Clapp, George H., 263, 269, 279, 280
Clark, WilliamL., 246, 247
Cleveland, Grover, 181
Cleveland Plaquette, 180, 181
Coates, Edward H., 45
Cogan, Edward, 6, 7, 10, 56
Coin collecting, 5, 7, 164
Coin design, 127, 129, 152, 153, 154, 155;
Eagle and Double Eagle, 156; Lincoln cent,
"Mercury"head dime; Liberty quarter
and half-dollar, 157; changes, 196
INDEX
383
Coin Hoards (S. P. Noe), 242
Coinages of Demetrius Poliorcetes, (E. T. Newell),
229
Colburn, Jeremiah, 62, 63
The Collector, 126
College of the City of NewYork, 35, 37, 70,
72, 74, 75, 97, 101, 102, 129
Columbian Exposition, 126, 127
Columbus Medal, 127
Comparette, T. L., 196
Confederate half-dollar (donated by Saltus),
191, 221, 231
Cook, Clarence, 88
Cooper Institute, 23, 24, 31
Cooper, Peter, 23
Cooper Union, 23, 24, 29, 48
Corinth finds, 240
Cornell, Jay B., 108
Council of Management of the Society, 22
Cox, Dorothy, 247
Cummings, Edward S., 24
Cypriote Museum at Nicosia, 280
Dames, Longworth, Collection, 232
de Cartier, Baron, 222
Declaration of War Medal, 196, 215, 216
de Francisci, Anthony, 224
Demanhur Hoard, 260
De Morgan, Henri, 108
De Peyster, Frederick J., 72, 96, 121
De Peyster, John Watts, 72, 96", 121
Devinney, George W. - Collection of Deco-
rations and War Medals, 189
Devreese, Godefroid, 166, 184, 185
Dewing, Arthur S., 284, 288, 293
DeZayas, George, 259
Dickie, Douglas P., 266
Dictionary of Numismatic Names (A. R. Frey),
226
Dielman, Frederick, 134
DeKay, Charles, 152
de Lagerberg, Julius 149
Dodd, Charles G., 777, 132, 151
Dodd, John M. Jr., 105, 106, 107, 110, 111,
121, 129
Dodge, Robert J., 20, 21, 34, 35
Dodge, William E., 121
Douglas, Damon G., 288, 289
Drake (Sir Francis) Medal, 77?, 173, 174,
175
Drowne, Henry Russell, 110, 111, 113, 115,
116, 120, 129, 137, 143, 144, 149, 154,
197,221
Dubois, William E., 53, 64
Dunscomb, S. Whitney, Jr., 153, 158
Dura-Europos, coins from, 240
Durkee, Joseph H. (Collection of Oriental
coins), 230, 265
Earle, James, 43
Eastern Exhibition Hall, 285, 286, 288
Ecklund, O. P., 261
Edward, Prince of Wales, 220, 221
Eidlitz, Robert James, 196, 205, 214, 216, 217,
235, 236, 252, 264, 283; Robert J. Eidlitz
Building Maintenance Fund, 283
Eidlitz, Sadie (Mrs. Robert James), 264
Edler, Thomas L., 153, 154, 155, 757, 158
Electrum Coinage ofLampsakos (AgnesBaldwin),
229
Elizabeth, Queen of the Belgians, 204, 218,
220, 222
Ely, Richard S., 94
Emmons, Brooks, 303
Endicott, Charles B., 25, 30
Endicott, DeWitt, 260
Endicott, F. Munroe, Collection, 260, 261
Endicott, Mrs. George, 260
English, Thomas Dunn, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17,
18, 19, 21
Essex County Antiquarian and Numismatic
Society, 26
Excavation Groups (submit coins for study),
240, 241
Falls, DeWitt Clinton, 263
Fecht, Arthur J., Collection, 277
Fecht Coin Purchase Fund, 277
Fecht, Neoma, 277, 283
Feuardent, Gaston, 74, 75, 76, 83, 84, 85, 86,
87, 88, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97,
98, 105, 108
Field, William B. Osgood, 185, 189, 216,
226, 277
384
INDEX
Flanagan, John, 212, 221
Flying eagle cent, 9
Foch, Ferdinand, 223, 224
Foch Medal, 220, 223, 224
Foskett, James D., 11, 13, 19, 23, 24, 29, 30
Franklin (Benjamin) Medals and Coins Ex-
hibition, 163
Franklin Institute ofSyracuse, 30
Fraser, James Earl, 157, 196, 214
French, Daniel Chester, 149, 166, 216, 217,
223
French Institute, MuseumofFrench Art,
168
Frey, Albert R., 151, 221, 226
Friends' Academy, 13
Fuchs, Emil, 176, 178, 186
Fulton, Robert, 177, 179, 180
Gampola Hoard, 257
Gates, Milo H., 145, 148, 155
Gautier Collection, 280
Gay, Joseph E., 43
German Numismatic Congress, 276
Gibbs, Isaac Hand, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20
Gillingham, Harrold E., 198, 209, 221, 255,
269
Gold Coinage ofLatin America (H. F. Williams),
229
Gold piece, Commemorating victory at New
Orleans by Andrew Jackson, struck by
Congress, 257
Gorringe, Henry H., 83
Gould, George J., 121
Grabar, Oleg, 303
Grant, Ulysses S., 131
Grant's Tomb Medal, 130, 131, 132
Green, Samuel Abbott, 62, 63
Greenwood, Isaac J., 29, 33, 34, 35, 39, 192
Gregory, Charles, 111, 121, 725, 126, 188,
194
Grierson, Philip, 277
Groh, Edward, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 21, 22, 33,
39, 40, 43, 61, 67, 68, 69,120, 138,139,144
Groh, Mrs. Edward, 192
Groh Loving Cup, 144, 192
GrolierClub, 110, 132
Grunthal, Henry, 296
Gunther, Charles G., 280; Gunther Memorial
Collection, 280
Gunther, Christian, 280
Guttag, Julius, 230, 233
Hadden, John Aspinwall, 121
Hall, Edward Hagaman, 131
Hall ofthe Board ofEducation, 35, 48
Hanna, John, 40, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49,
57, 59, 62
Hart, Henry O., 11, 12
Harvey, Eli, 149, 215
Hastings, Thomas, 166
Havemeyer, Henry O., 121
Hetrick, George, 139
Hewitt, Harry M., 122
Hewitt, Robert, Jr., 36, 41, 42, 43, 49, 61, 84,
94, 102, 120, 121,
Hickox, John Howard, 29
Higgins Collection - medals ofFrench Revo-
lution, 189
Hill, Ezra, 12, 13, 30
Hill, George F., 228
Hispanic Numismatic Series, 279, 300, 301
Hispanic Society ofAmerica, 140, 143, 144,
145, 146,148,149, 150, 158, 165, 167, 210,
246, 275, 278, 279, 300
Hispanic Society ofAmerica Collection, 278,
279
Histoire Metallique de Napoleon le Grand, Em-
pereur et Roi, by E. Babelon, 151
Historical Account ofAmerican Coinage, by John
Howard Hickox, 29
History ofThe American Numismatic and Archae-
ological Society, with Lists ofFounders, In-
corporators, Officers and Members, by William
R. Weeks, 109
Hoernle, Dr. A. F. R., Collection, 232, 265
Hoffman, Samuel V., 120
Hornsby, Roger, 303
Houdon, Jean-Antoine, 172
Hudson, Henry, 177, 178, 179, 180
Hudson-Fulton Celebration Commission,
177, 178, 179; Medal Committee, 178
Hudson-Fulton Medal, 77, 178, 179, 180,180
Huntington, Anna Vaughn (Hyatt), 169,
170, 220, 306
INDEX
385
Huntington, Arabella D., 194, 207, estate of,
283
Huntington, Archer M., 139, 140, 141, 144,
144, 145, 146, 147, 149, 150, 155, 158, 159,
160, 162, 164, 167, 171, 175, 177, 178, 185,
187, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193, 194, 197, 202,
206, 207, 208, 210, 211, 226, 229, 233, 235,
243, 244, 273, 277, 278, 280, 285, 286, 305,
505, 306, 307, 308
Huntington (Archer M.) Award, 246
Huntington (Archer M.) Collection, see His-
panic Society Collection
Huntington Free Library and Reading Room,
210, 238, 239,
Huntington (Archer M) Fund, 306
Huntington (Archer M) medal, 142, 170,
172, 175, 176, 177, 213
Huntington Plaque, 305, 306
Huntington, Charles P., 145
Husker, George W., Collection, 264
Hyde, Frederick E., 134
Independence Day Medal, 217, 218
Indian Head nickel, 157
Indian Peace Medals, 170, 194, 232
Indian Peace Medals (B. L. Belden), 229
"In God We Trust" (1918 cent), 157
Ingholt, Prof. Harald, vii
Institut Franchise aux fitats-Unis, 224
International Exhibition of Contemporary
Medals, 166, 167; Medal of, 767, 166;
Catalogue of, 167
International Exhibition of Medallic Art,
767, 165, 166, 184
International Exhibition of Medals (Madrid),
276
International Exhibition of Persian Art, 241
International Numismatic Congress (Brussels),
164, 165, 185
International Numismatic Congress Medal,
164, 165, 185
Ives, Herbert E., 235, 267, 273, 274, 278, 279,
282, 287, 288, 289, 292, 293, 297, 298
Ives (Herbert E.) Collection, 282
Jaegers, Albert, 129, 130
Jaudon, Frank H., 24, 28
Jenkins, G. K., 277
Joan of Arc Exhibition, 168, 169
Joan of Arc Medal, 170, 205, 220
Joan of Arc Statue Committee, 168, 169
Joffre, Joseph, 217
Johnson, Andrew, 47, 48
Johnson, Raymond, 275
Jones, John F., Collection, 264
Jones, John Paul, Medal, 765, 171, 172, 173
Jourdain, Jules, 223
Kenney, Richard D., 295
King and Queen of the Belgians Medal, 204,
Kohn, Emil W., 269 [218
Kunz, George F., 777, 127, 128, 129, 130, 137,
138, 143, 153, 155, 168, 175, 196, 221, 257
Lagerberg, Magnus Emmanuel, 149
Lane, Wheaton J., viii, ix
Langdon, Woodbury G., 134, 135, 136
Lawrence, Cyrus J., 65, 93, 121
Lawrence, Jessie C. (Mrs. Richard Hoe), 261
Lawrence, Richard Hoe, 90, 121, 125, 261
Lawrence, Theophilus W., 12, 19
Leathe, Frank, 39, 40, 44
Lectures at Preparatory Schools, 248, 249
Lehmann, Karl, 249
Lepethus, 240
Levick, Joseph N. T., 29, 42, 43, 56, 57, 59,
60, 61, 62, 70, 72
Liberty quarter and half-dollar, 157
Lincoln (Abraham) Memorial Medal, 44, 45,
47,48,49, 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55,64; Lincoln
Plaque, 173, 183
Liveright, Frank I., Collection, 232
Lober, George, 273
Lo Collection - Chinese coins, 190, 230
London Numismatic Society, 28
Long, Huey, 258
Long (Huey) Medal, 259, 260
Longman, Evelyn B., 217
Lossing, Benson J., 25
Lovett, George H., 38, 78, 184, 188
Low, Lyman H., 63, 102, 105, 110, 111, 773,
120, 121, 151, 160
Mabbott, Thomas O., 273
MacNeil, Herman A., 157, 166, 196, 225
26
386
INDEX
Main, Raymond E., 247, 297
Maine Centennial HalfDollar, 224
Maintenance Fund, 236
Manchester Numismatic Society, 65
Manuel II, King ofPortugal, 218
Marshall, Rudolph, 173, 174
Marvin, WilliamT. R., 145, 149, 150, 151,
162
Mastercraft Associates, 285
Mayers, WilliamS. Frederick, 25, 27, 30
McCoy, John F., 36, 43, 51
McKinley, William, 131
McMillan, Emerson, 193
Medallic Art Company, 181, 202, 203, 257,
260
Megiddo (coins from), 240
Melber, Jacob J., 13
Mellen, Charles S., 121
Membership Medal, 78, 79, 80, 81, 132;
(New), 181, 184
Memphis, finds from, 241
Mercier, Cardinal ofBelgiumMedal, 223
"Mercury"head dime, 157
Merritt, Ferris P., 210
Merritt Fund, 210
Metropolitan MuseumofArt, 85, 86, 87, 88,
89, 90, 92, 93, 95, 97, 98, 132, 178, 189,
216, 230, 265, 269
Mickley, Joseph J., 6, 20
Milbank, Samuel R., 254, 266, 286, 288
Miles, George C., 242, 254, 275, 279, 296
Miller, Hoyt, 283
Mills Collection, 265
"Minniesland,"144
Minturno hoards, 240
Mitchel, John Purroy, 217
Morgan Collection, 189, 201, 274
Morgan, J. Pierpont, 165, 172, 185, 186, 188,
189, 189
Morgan Library, 189, 272
Morgan, Sherley W., 285, 286
Mosser, Sawyer McA., x, 209, 245, 290, 294,
298
Mott, A. B., 74, 75
Mott Memorial Hall, 72, 73, 74, 75
Muhlenberg, WilliamAugustus, 130
Munro, Neil Gordon, Collection, 262
Murphy, WilliamW., 64
Murray, Joseph K., 39, 40
MuseumNotes, 297, 298, 300, 301
Museumofthe American Indian-Heye Foun-
dation, 140, 239
National Academy ofDesign, 129, 133, 134,
214, 217
National Academy ofSciences, 130
National Arts Club, 214, 217
The National Cyclopedia ofAmerican Biography,
21
National Sculpture Society, 128, 129, 149,
202, 214
Nesmith, Robert I., 274
The New AmsterdamGazette, 126
Newell, Adra M. (Mrs. Edward T.), 264, 268,
272, 273, 281, 283
Newell, Edward T., 141, 142, 144, 151, 186,
189,196, 200, 202, 204, 205, 207, 209, 211,
216, 221, 223, 226, 227, 229, 230, 231, 232,
234, 234, 235, 237, 238, 239, 244, 245, 252,
253, 254, 255, 258, 259, 260,265,266, 284,
308
Newell Coin Purchase Fund, 268
Newell Collection, 268, 272, 284
Newell Fellowship, 302, 303
Newell Memorial plaque, 273
Newell Publication Fund, 244, 268
Newell RoomLibrary, 272, 273
New England Numismatic and Archaeo-
logical Society, 26, 57
New Haven Numismatic Society, 26, 40, 41,
47
Newman, Allen G., 217
New Theatre Medal, 181, 183
New York Genealogical and Biographical
Society, 73, 113, 114, 115
New York Herald, 45, 121
New-York Historical Society, 52, 84, 117,
118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 140,225
New York Numismatic Club, 157, 195, 212,
236
New York Numismatic Society, 41, 42, 43,
(merger with AN&AS) 44, 56
New York State Library, 29
New York University, 76, 77, 110, 112
INDEX
387
NewYork University Institute of Fine Arts,
249, 254
Nexsen, John A., 43
Nicoll, I. C., 134
Nies, James B. - Collection, 232
Noe, Sydney P., x, 161, 163, 198, 199, 200,
209, 226, 227, 228, 235, 242, 245, 246, 254,
276, 279, 281, 289, 290, 296, 300
North, Geoffrey H., 295
Norton, Frank Henry, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 26,
27, 28, 28, 30, 33, 34, 39, 41, 42, 56, 58, 59,
60, 64, 65
Numismatic and Antiquarian Society, 82
Numismatic and Archaeological Society of
Baltimore, 26
Numismatic Chronicle, 55
Numismatic collection, 66, 69, 70, 99, 100
Numismatic Journal, 55
Numismatic Literature, 298, 299, 300, 301
Numismatic Notes and Monographs, 212, 226,
227, 228, 229, 238, 242, 243, 244, 300
Numismatic Notes and Monograph Fund,
208, 212, 243, 244
Numismatic Society of Philadelphia, 11, 28,
47, 56
Numismatic Studies, 244, 301
Numismatisches Literatur-Blatt, 298
The Numismatist, 126, 152, 164, 211, 212,
228, 261
Numismatology, 126
Oettinger Collection, 192
Ohio State Board of Agriculture, 30
Oliver, James, 11, 12, 13, 19,.21, 24, 25, 28,
33, 39, 41, 59, 67, 68, 71, 79, 123
Olyphant, John Kensett, 120, 134
Omactl Club, 20
Oriental Institute of Chicago, 240
Osborne, Charles, 83
Paine, George T., 46
Paris Exposition, 137, 138, medal of, 141
Paris Mint, 172, 189
Parish, Daniel Jr., 40,47,49,51,52,68,71, 75,
101, 102, 103, 104, 113, 114, 120, 121, 124,
125,125, 126, 128, 129, 130, 137, 138, 143,
144, 151, 153, 155, 158, 190, 194, 261
Parish medal, 125, 126
Peace Dollar, 224
Peace of Versailles Medal, 204, 219
Pehrson, Nelson P., 158, 160, 161
Pell, Stephen H. P., 193, 200, 266, 289, 292,
293
Pennsylvania Society, 163
Perez, Gilbert S., 227
Perine, George H., 33, 35, 38, 40, 44, 47, 49,
56, 57, 58, 59, 63, 68, 69, 70, 71
Perry, Enoch Wood, 149
Phelps, Royal, 84
Pike, Charles J., 135, 136
Poe, Edgar Allan, 14, 15
Poillon, William, 65, 68, 69, 71, 75, 76, 94,
102, 110, 113, 121, 142, 149, 152, 158
Pollack, James, 82
Ponce de Leon, Nestor, 73, 74
Porter, Horace, 131, 172
Portland Maine Transcript, 26
Powell (William R.) Collection, 202, 231
Pratt, Bela L., 152
Price, H. Brooks, 236
Prince Henry of Prussia Medal, 132, 140
Prince of Wales Medal, 205, 212, 220, 221
Proceedings, 150, 211, 212, 228, 229
Pryer, Charles, 113, 143, 191
Publication Fund, 228, 301
Publication of the Society, 211, 226, 227, 228,
229, 298, 300, 301
Pyne, Moses Taylor, 119, 121, 122, 134
Ramsden, Henry A., 189, 262
Rasmusson, Nils, 299
Raymond, Wayte, 189, 280, 281
Red Cross Medal 213, 223
Redlich, Abraham, 35, 71
Reilly Collection, 262, 263
Reilly, Frances, 262
Reilly, John, Jr., 151,157, 197, 204, 205, 206,
209, 211, 221, 224, 226, 230, 262
Revere (Paul) Medal, 220, 224, 225
Revue beige de numismatique, 55
Revue numismatique franfaise, 55
Rhode Island Numismatic Association, 26, 46
Riker, John L., 119
Robertson, Robert, 234, 246
388
INDEX
Robinson, Edward P., 263, 269
Roine, Jules Edouard, 149, 181, 183
Roosevelt, Theodore, 153, 154, 155, 156
Rorimer, James J., 269
Ross, Albert Randolph, 129, 130
Rostovzeff, Michel, 240
Roty, Louis Oscar, 136
Royal Numismatic Society, London, 246
Ruckstuhl, F. Wellington, 149
Ruggles, Samuel B., 64, 65
Sage, Augustus B., 10, 11, 12, 13, 17, 19, 20,
21, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29
Sage's (A. B.) Numismatic Gallery, 11
Saint-Gaudens, Augustus, 121, 129, 137, 138,
152, 153, 154, 155, 156, 255, 256
Saltus Award Medal, 185, 189, 191, 192,
1st award to Fraser, 214
Saltus Award Medal Committee, 214
Saltus Award Medal Fund, 202, 213
Saltus, J. Sanford, 137, 138, 149, 156, 163,
169, 184, 185,188, 189, 190, 191, 192, 193,
194, 205, 213, 214, 215, 218, 219, 220, 221,
222, 223, 224, 231
Savage, Alexander Duncan, 162, 198
Scharff, Anton, 192
Schnakenberg, H. A., Collection, 260
School for Coin and Medal Designing and
Die Cutting, 116, 133, 134, 135, 136, 137
Scoville, Herbert, 263
Seaman, T. D. 16
Sellers, Ovid, 240
Seward, William Henry, 29
Seymour, William Wood, 40, 56
Seyrig, Henri, 276
Shear, T. Leslie, 273
Sheridan, Clare, 201
Shonnard, Beulah Phelps, x
Shroeder, Louis H., 277, 278
Sigel, Emil, 45, 46, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 54, 55
Simpson, A. Carson, 288, 289, 291, 298
Smith, David E., 227
Snowden, A. Louden, 82, 102
Societe Hollandaise-Belge des Amis de la
Medaille d'Art, 185
Society Library, University Place, 34
Society of American Artists, 129
Sorolla y Bastida, Joaquin, 167
Spicer-Simpson, Theodore, 218
Spink's Numismatic Monthly, 126
Starosselsky, V. D. Collection, 232, 265
St. BartholomewMedal, 797, 216
Steeves, H. Alan, Jr., 290, 294
Stevenson Plaque, 255, 256, 257
Stevenson, Robert Louis, 255, 256
Stewart, Albert, 250
Stewart, William Rhinelander, 121, 131, 133
Stillman, William J., 97, 98
St. John's College, Fordham, 30
St. Luke's Hospital Medal, 130, 132
Storrs, Sir Ronald, 260
Stover, C. B., 169
Strauss Collection, 278
Strobridge, William H., 43
Strong, William L., 131
Stuart, Robert L., 72
Sturgis, Russell, 105, 129, 134
Sullivan, Algernon S., 93, 94, 187; Medal,
187; Memorial Fund, 187
Sullivan, George H., 187
Sutherland, C. H. V., 276, 277, 299
Swedish Numismatic Society, 149
Syracuse Mechanics Association, 30
Ten Eyck, Elisha, 52, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62
Tercentenary of the Purchase of Manhattan
Island Medal, 221, 225, 226
Thompson, Margaret, 290
Thompson, William Gilman, 196, 214, 221
Thompson, William P., 26
Tiffany & Co., 127, 130, 131, 184
Tonnele, Walter, 129
Troubetskoy, Paul, Prince, 167
Troy, coins from, 241
Uniformity of coinage for the U. S., 37
Union Dime Savings Bank, 115, 124, 143, 144
United States Naval Academy, 171, 172
U. S. Mint, Philadelphia, 14, 31, 53, 55, 64,
81, 82, 101, 127, 128, 156
University Club, 114
University Museum of the University of
Pennsylvania, 240
University of the City of NewYork, 37
INDEX
389
U. S. Mint Manual, 10
U. S. Sanitary Commission: Metropolitan
Fair, 63, 64
Vail, John Cooper, 12, 13, 19
Valentine Collection (presented by Newell),
230, 265
Valentine, Herbert, 109, 113, 115, 120, 188
Valentine, Samuel, 188
Vanderbilt, William K., 121
Vermeule, Cornelius C., Ill, 303
Vermilya-Brown and Company, 285
Vermont Numismatic Society, 26
Victor Emmanuel III, 132, 188, 218
Vienna Mint, 174
Viviani, M. Rene, 217
Vlasto, M. P., 228
von Post, Herman C., 118, 119
Walter, David L., 105, 123
Wang, Yu-ch'uan, 294
Warburg, Felix, 232
Washington Sesquicentennial Medal, 235,
250
Waterbury, John J., 186
Watson, Loring, 43
Weatherbee, Edwin H., 133
Weeks, William R., 105, 107, 109, 110, 116,
120, 121, 124, 143, 144, 158, 160, 161, 164
Weinman, Adolph Alexander, 157, 185, 196,
214
Werner, Louis S., x
West, Allen B., 241
West, Louis C., x, 284, 285, 288, 289, 293, 305
Western Exhibition hall, 286, 293
Western Pennsylvania Numismatic Society,
26
Westervelt, Leonidas, 227
Whalen, Grover A., 224
White, Owen P., 258
Whitehead & Hoag Co., 177, 183, 186
Whitehead, R. B., 228, 231
Whitmore, Henry, 12, 13, 19
Whittaker, Thomas, 134
Williams, H. F., 229
Wilson, James B., Ill
Wood, Casey, 257
Wood, F. Augustus see Isaac F.
Wood, Howland, 160, 162, 163, 165,188, 190,
201, 211, 226, 227, 228, 230, 231, 234, 242,
246, 257, 265
Wood, Isaac F., 33, 34, 39, 40, 44, 45, 46, 47,
48, 50, 54, 56, 63, 64, 66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71,
72, 73, 77, 78, 79, 81, 86
Wood, Sarah Bowne (Mrs. Isaac F.), 77
Woodin, William H., 152
Woodward, J. Otis, 122, 143
Woolf, Solomon, 101, 102, 103, 120, 121, 122
World War I affect on the Society, 195,
196, 199, 200, 201, 301
World War II, affects on the Society, 267,
270, 271
Wormser, Charles M., 283
Wright, Charles H., 97, 107, 126
Wyman, Arthur C., 262
Wyman Collection, 232, 262
Wyon, J. S. and A. B., 50, 51
Yale College Collection, 27, 40
Yale University, 240
Yin Dynasty, 260
Zabriskie, Andrew C., 103, 106, 112, 113,115,
116, 117,117, 118, 119, 120, 122, 125, 126,
129, 133, 134, 138, 140, 149
Zabriskie, George, 117, 119, 120
Zerbe, Farran, 160, 234
Zimmerman, Jeremiah, 201
3QO ILLUSTRATION CREDITS
ILLUSTRATION CREDITS
Facing paga
21 Thomas Dunn English (National Cyclopedia of American Biography, II, p. 322).
28 New York City Mission and Tract Society (Courtesy of the New-York Historical
Society).
29 Fourth Avenue between Seventh and Eighth Streets in 1861 showing Bible House
(left) and Cooper Union (center). (D. Valentine's Manual of the Common Council for
1861, p. 351).
48 Hall of the Board of Education (Twelfth Annual Report of the Board of Education
January 1, 1854- Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society).
Cooper Union (Courtesy of the New-York Historical Society).
65 Cyrus Jay Lawrence (Moses King, Notable New Yorkers (New York, 1899), p. 196).
96 Frederick James De Peyster (Moses King, Notable New Yorkers, p. 113).
97 The City College (Courtesy of New-York Historical Society).
112 New York University, Washington Square (Courtesy of New-York Historical So-
ciety).
117 George Albert Zabriskie (portrait by Henry R. Rittenberg reproduced from R.W.
G. Vail, Knickerbocker Birthday. A Sesqui-Centennial History of Tlie New-York Historical
Society 1804-1954 (New York, 1954), p. 250).
George F. Kunz (National Cyclopedia of American Biography, IV, p. 433).
124 Union Dime Savings Bank, View from Thirty-Third Street "L" Station (Courtesy
of New-York Historical Society).
133 Victor D. Brenner (Victor D. Brenner, The Art of the Medal (New York, 1910), p. 4).
144 Edward T. Newell (Courtesy of Louis S. Werner).
Archer M. Huntington (The American Numismatic and Archaeological SocietyProceed-
ings and Papers 1905-1909).
145 Henry Clinton Backus (Moses King, Notable New Yorkers, p. 117). Rev. Milo H.
Gates (Courtesy of The Chapel of the Intercession). William T.R. Marvin (The
Numismatist, XXVII (1914), p. 598).
148 Interior of Hispanic Society of America (1908) (Courtesy of The Hispanic Society
of America).
160 Howland Wood (American Numismatic Association Year Book, I (1910), opp. p. 13).
American Numismatic Association Convention 1910 (Elder Magazine, I, No. 9).
Farran Zerbe (The Numismatist, XX (1907), p. 279).
188 Samuel P. Avery (Moses King, Notable New Yorkers, p. 337). [p. 19).
Howland Wood with Swedish Eight Thaler Piece (The Numismatist, XLII (1929),
196 Dr. William Oilman Thompson (Moses King, Notable New Yorkers, p. 337).
James Earl Fraser (The Numismatist, XXXIII (1920), p. 395).
212 John Flanagan (The Numismatist, XXXIII (1920), p. 357).
221 Albert R. Frey (American Numismatic Association Year Book, I (1910), p. 6).
230 Julius Guttag (The Numismatist, LXX (1957), p. 1307).
234 Robert Robertson, Howland Wood, Farran Zerbe and Edward T. Newell in front
of American Numismatic Society1935 (Courtesy of Louis S. Werner).
235 Sydney P. Noe (Courtesy of Louis S. Werner).
305 Louis C. West (portrait by DeWitt M. Lockman).
Archer M. Huntington (A History of the Hispanic Society of America Museum and Library
1904-1954, p. 2).